Consequences
by FayeValentine00
Summary: Gray and Juvia slept together the night of Lucy's reward party. Two months later, the Ice Devil Slayer is on the 100 Years Quest and Juvia is pregnant.
1. Chapter 1

Consequences

By: juvia0613 (FayeValentine00)

Chapter 1

* * *

"Your body is mine."

Juvia's heart leapt in her throat. Despite being pretty drunk, she was 100% sure that she'd heard him correctly. Gray had finally admitted he had feelings for her. Sure, it wasn't as great as "I love you" but he was _claiming her_! The Water Wizard knew it must have taken a lot of serious consideration before he'd been able to make even that much of a confession.

Juvia climbed to her feet and took a step towards Gray. She wanted to leap into his arms, but she was afraid if she got too excited, she'd scare him and ruin everything. "Does Gray-sama mean that?"

"Yeah... obviously." His cheeks were still pink when he smirked at her. "I'm kind of surprised you haven't pounced me yet."

That did it! Juvia's shoddy self-control and the alcohol running through her veins allowed her to throw caution to the wind. She flung herself into Gray's waiting arms. That was when she realized that they were barely clothed, him just in briefs and her in just a skirt and bra. She could feel his muscles tense as he wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her tight.

She'd been held in his arms before but never quite like this. Juvia looked up at his face and met his eyes. It was the first time she saw something new in his expression. It was a look the Water Wizard had always wanted to see, the one that wanted more. Gray's expression was full of desire, or lust, or whatever. She was tipsy and happy, so the details didn't matter.

She'd been waiting for that moment for so long that it was the most natural thing in the world to tilt her head back and accept his kiss. It was tentative and nervous. It occurred to Juvia that it was probably his first kiss and that felt incredibly sweet.

Gray and Juvia lost themselves in the moment. Alcohol did a good job of wiping away their nerves and inhibitions, leaving them free to explore all the places they'd only ever dreamed of. His hands roamed over her hips, cupped her breast, grabbed her ass as their tongues tasted each other freely. Juvia's fingers clung to his back, ran through his hair, wrapped tightly around his neck, pulling him closer.

Gray's lips left hers to leave a trail of kisses along her neck, causing Juvia to melt into him. Her body pressed seductively to his, her leg grinding against him, causing his body to react and that was going to be a problem on a city street. When Juvia felt his growing erection against her thigh, she spoke up.

"Gray-sama... we — should probably — go somewhere — else." A new onslaught of delicious kisses halted her words.

It almost seemed reluctant when the Ice Devil Slayer pulled away to look into her eyes. They might be drunk, but they weren't out of their heads and she understood the look in his eyes. Gray was checking to make sure they were on the same page. He should have known she would have followed him anywhere, but he still checked. After he was happy with what he saw in her eyes, the black-haired man made his decision and nodded his head. "Okay."

Gray took Juvia by the hand and led her down the road. Although her swollen lips were sad to be abandoned, the sense of anticipation growing in the pit of her stomach had the Water Wizard practically skipping at his side. Was this actually happening?! This was actually happening!

They'd gone a few blocks when Juvia realized they weren't headed to either of their dorms. "Gray-sama. Where are we going?"

"We can't go to the dorms. If they catch us, we'll be paying the fine for the next ten years," He looked over his shoulder at her with a grin, causing Juvia to laugh out loud.

"That's true. ... But if we can't go home, where are we going?"

"Can you keep a secret?"

In retrospect, there was no way Gray and Juvia would have picked their chosen venue if they'd been sober and thinking clearly, but they weren't. They were giddy, drunk, horny and ready to bust down a few of the emotional walls that had stood in their way for far too long.

"Gray-sama... this is…"

Juvia was shocked at first, but then she giggled and then she guffawed. She was laughing so loudly that Gray thought she might blow their plan, so he silenced her with a kiss. It worked remarkably well.

Still intertwined, trying to make out and climb stairs at the same time, they finally got to the door they needed. Gray used a bit of magic to make the familiar key, got the door opened and pulled Juvia inside, slamming the door behind them.

They were in Lucy's apartment.

When they left, the party had still been going strong and Lucy was the guest of honor so there was no way Lucy, Natsu or Happy would be home anytime soon. It was the safest place to sneak away and have their fun. They both knew they'd never touch Lucy's bed or couch. They weren't going to make it that far into the room anyway.

As soon as the door was closed, Gray was on Juvia. Once he'd decided that she was what he wanted, the Devil Slayer was done being tsundere or playing hard to get. He wanted Juvia… badly.

Juvia was full of wild abandon. Perhaps if she'd been completely clearheaded, it could have been more romantic or they could have explored more but, instead, the night was full of unbridled passion. The bluenette leapt into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. She left a trail of kisses along his neck and chest as her body rubbed against his obvious need.

Gray took a step forward, slamming Juvia up against the wall. Their bodies were pressed together as lips and hands roamed. Moans and gasps and the sounds of heavy breathing filled the room until Juvia was begging for more.

"Gray-sama…" She whispered his name as a plea, conveying without words, how badly she needed him.

His answering groan of desire was quickly followed with action. He held her tight, legs still wrapped around his middle, and carried her to the plush carpet on the floor. As soon as they were down, their remaining garments were discarded, and Gray got the chance to see all of Juvia for the first time. She was gorgeous but passions were too high to linger.

Although Gray had never actually done it before, he knew how it went and Juvia helped with the rest. He moved above her and kissed her lips tightly. He only hesitated because he was afraid of hurting her but that was where Juvia came in. She wrapped her legs around him once more and pulled him to her, assisting in driving their bodies together. After that, instinct took over, and they found their rhythm.

Gray's fingers wound into her long hair as he drove into her. Juvia's arms were wrapped tightly around his neck, holding him closer. Their kisses continued until they had to break away as they moved closer to climax. By the time they finished nearly together, the noises in the room were wonderfully erotic, and when the final throes of passion passed, Gray collapsed beside Juvia.

Ice Devil Slayer and Water Wizard laid there, side by side, on a soft rug on the floor of Lucy's apartment, gasping for breath and coming to terms with what had just happened. Gray chuckled first. Then Juvia chuckled. Then they were both laughing. They were a little tipsy, a little delirious, a little drunk of love. Whatever. They were happy, and they felt good.

They stayed there for a while, laughing and making small talk but after about 20 minutes, Juvia started to get nervous. "We should probably get going before we get caught."

Gray glanced over at her and for just a second, Juvia could have sworn that he looked a little sad about that. But the moment passed quickly and a second later he was smiling. "You're probably right."

They put on the very few clothes they'd come with, tried to straighten anything they'd disturbed and snuck out of Lucy's place without anybody knowing.

"I'll walk you home." Gray offered with a smile.

"Y-you don't have to."

"But I want to, okay?" He looked at her so seriously that it made her heart skip a beat.

Juvia felt a blush spread across her cheeks. "Thank you."

On the way home, they were both still giggling like teenagers, telling silly stories and stealing little kisses when there was no one else on the road. It was just fun. Juvia couldn't remember a time she'd felt so relaxed and happy as she did on that walk to Fairy Hills.

It wasn't until they got to the front door of the girl's dorm that Gray took Juvia's hand and turned her around to face him. "Wait. There's something I need to tell you."

That made Juvia stop dead in her tracks. She had no idea what was coming, but she just had a bad feeling. "O-okay…"

"It's nothing terrible," he promised quickly. "It's just... we're leaving on the 100 Year Quest tomorrow morning and we'll be gone for a while. But I promise I'll come back. When I do, let's figure all of this out, okay?" He said that last part with a blush, gesturing between them.

Gray was talking about their relationship! When he gets back, he wants to figure things out?! Juvia's heart soared. Everything she'd ever wanted was beginning to come true, and it took real effort not to cry happy tears. Instead, the Water Wizard smiled brightly and nodded. "Juvia thinks that sounds great."

They stood there awkwardly for a long while. Both knew it was time for the night to end but neither wanted to go. Finally, Gray broke the silence. "So... I should go…"

"Oh! ... umm... yeah." Juvia stammered. "Well… Be careful, Gray-sama."

"Of course!" He answered with a confident smile before leaning forward to give her a quick kiss on the lips. "We'll talk when I get home."

"It's a promise."

Gray waited until Juvia got inside before he left. His whole mind, body and soul was still amazed about everything that had happened in the last couple of hours. It was all new and exciting but there was more to it than that. The Ice Devil Slayer was certain that he really _was_ in love with Juvia Lockser.

* * *

Juvia ran up the stairs and into her room before anyone could stop her. She jumped onto her bed, grabbed her large Gray plushie and hugged it tightly to her chest. Her mind was running a million miles a minute. Had all of that just happened?!

OH MY GOD!

If Juvia didn't have some telltale proof of their fun, even she might not believe it. She was on Cloud 9. Gray liked her, they'd had sex _and _he'd promised to figure things out when he got home. It was amazing!

Even if Gray was going to be gone for a while, she had something to look forward to. And to hold her over, she had some fantastic memories.

* * *

The next afternoon, Team Natsu was traveling towards the first step of the 100 Year Quest. For most of the morning, Natsu had been watching Gray with a weird look on his face. When he finally approached the Ice Devil Slayer, Natsu looked around to make sure no one else was around and then asked the question that was clearly bothering him.

"Hey, Gray. What were you and Juvia doing at Lucy's apartment last night? Your smell was all ove—"

Gray panicked, turned Natsu into ice and dragged him into the woods. By the time the Fire Dragon Slayer defrosted himself, Natsu looked irritated, but Gray spoke up before he could.

"Natsu, I'll buy all the food for you and Happy while we're on this job if you forget all about that!" There was true panic in Gray's eyes that both amused and intrigued the sakura-haired man.

"But, what-"

"Natsu!" Gray shouted his best friend's name, cutting off his words. "I'm begging you, man. ... Just let it go."

Natsu watched him for a long time. He wanted to push it, having no idea what had _actually _happened. All his ideas were way off the mark. But the promise of free food was too good an offer to pass up. "You'll buy _all _the food for the _entire_ trip?"

"YES!" Gray swore.

It was tough but Natsu finally gave in with a sigh. "Fine. ... I don't know anything."

That was the end of that and a few minutes later, the guys caught back up. Little did they know, Wendy had overheard everything, and she had an embarrassing suspicious what may have happened. However, it wasn't her business, so the little Dragon Slayer did her best to push it from her mind.


	2. Chapter 2

Consequences

By: juvia0613 (FayeValentine00)

Chapter 2

* * *

**About Two Months Later**

"I can't believe Juvia bailed on us again!" Gajeel complained to Levy when he and Lily returned from their most recent job. "Seriously! She's dropped out on three jobs this month and the jobs she _did_ go on were terrible. She was bitchy the whole time."

"Gajeel, she's been sick," Levy chided with a sympathetic smile. They'd gotten married a month prior and, since the Solid Script User revealed her pregnancy, Juvia was supposed to be taking her place.

"I can count, on one hand, the number of times that water woman has been ill in all the years I've known her. How can she possible be sick this entire time?!"

"Levy, just ignore him. Gajeel took a decent shot today, and he's been grumpy ever since." Lily winked at Levy, making the diminutive girl giggle and making Gajeel growl while he stomped off in a huff.

When the Iron Dragon Slayer was far enough away to be out of earshot, Levy turned to the Exceed with serious concern in her eyes. "Lily, I need to go check on Juvia, but I need you to cover for me. Please don't tell Gajeel. He'll want to come but... I really think I should go alone."

Lily eyed Levy suspiciously for a long time before he asked softly. "Do you know what's wrong with her?"

The bluenette shifted uncomfortably and flashed him a halfhearted smirk. "I seriously hope not."

Levy was four months pregnant and had a little baby bump to match her little frame. She hadn't been back to the dorms since getting married and although not a lot of time had gone by; it was surreal. But since she _had _lived in Fairy Hills for many years, she knew how to sneak around without getting caught. She needed that skill to come in handy now. If anyone saw her and asked why she was there, Levy couldn't think of a single good excuse that wouldn't raise suspicion.

She snuck up a rarely used back staircase, ran down the hall to Juvia's door and knocked. There was no immediate answer and she could hear someone coming. Shoot! She needed to get inside or she'd be caught. She knocked again, more urgently but still no answer. The footsteps were coming closer, and she gave up.

Levy tried the doorknob and as luck would have it, it was unlocked. Thank God! She rushed inside and closed the door behind her. Safe! Now she had to find the occupant.

"Juvia. Are you here? Sorry… I let myself in," she called out apologetically.

The answer she received was the familiar sound of someone puking into a toilet.

Levy rushed to the bathroom and was only half surprised by what she saw. Juvia was kneeling over the toilet, holding her hair in a practiced way. She looked tired and miserable. When she noticed Levy, the usually sweet Water Wizard groaned. "Please go home, Levy."

Then, a second later, Juvia was sick again and Levy knew she couldn't abandon her friend. The smaller woman held Juvia's hair and rubbed her back the way Gajeel had done for her until the sickness passed.

Once Juvia washed her face and brushed her teeth, the Water Wizard joined Levy on the edge of the bed, hardening her heart for the lecture she knew was coming. Gajeel was pissed, so he'd probably sent his sweet pregnant wife to make her feel guilty. What she hadn't expected was 20 questions and empathy.

"Hey Juvia... how long have you been sick?" Levy asked thoughtfully.

"It feels like forever," she admitted, frowning but when Levy gave her a dirty look, Juvia did a little quick math. "Maybe... three or four weeks."

The smaller girls' jaw dropped. "You've been throwing up for a month?!"

"Not throwing up, no. Juvia was just nauseous at first... but Juvia has been throwing up for a couple of weeks." The Water Wizard wouldn't meet Levy's eyes and it made Levy nervous. She didn't want to be right.

"What else is going on?…" She shifted uncomfortably but continued. "Gajeel said you've been moody?"

"Moody, bloated, tired... It's like terrible PMS!" Juvia looked so frustrated that Levy thought she might cry.

Shit! This was impossible, right? Right?! The bluenette didn't want to ask. She didn't want to upset Juvia anymore, but she had to know.

"Juvia... Umm... Please don't be offended... but... Is there any chance that... you're pregnant?" By the time her question ended, Levy's words were a whisper but Juvia didn't react at all.

The Water Wizard's eyes were looking off into the distance, unfocused. Her face was unreadable, but the answer finally came. "... no."

The pause before Juvia answered was so long that Levy knew there was more to the story and she couldn't let it go. If her suspicions were correct, Juvia needed support.

"Juvia... why the long pause? It's a yes or no question."

"Juvia said, no."

"Okay, then... When was your last period?"

The answer came a little quicker this time, but she still wouldn't meet Levy's eyes. "A couple of months."

"Have you had sex recently?" Levy knew she was prying but since Juvia was answering, she'd continue.

Juvia's hands rubbed together so hard her knuckles turned white. "Once," she breathed.

"WITH WHO?!" Levy didn't mean to shriek, but she was truly shocked. Juvia had only had eyes for Gray the entire time they'd known each other. It seemed insane that she'd sleep with someone else. She felt truly outraged on Gray's account.

That was the first time Juvia actually met her eyes, looking exasperated and Levy gasped. Then she blushed. Then Juvia blushed, and they sat there in awkward silence.

"When?"

"The night of Lucy's party."

Levy did some figuring and groaned. The timeline was too convenient. Barring a serious illness, pregnancy was the only thing that made sense. "You have to take a test," she urged.

"Juvia doesn't want to," Juvia admitted and when she looked up again, her eyes were filled with tears. "I'm going to ruin his life."

The Solid Script Users immediate reaction was to tell Juvia that she was being ridiculous but, when she saw true terror in the Water Wizard's expression, she held her tongue. The only way to support Juvia was to work with her, not against her.

"Please don't tell Gajeel."

That was like a knife to Levy's heart. She and Gajeel were open with each other. They didn't keep secrets, but she also knew that if she didn't promise, the conversation was over. After careful consideration, Levy made a promise she'd regret in the weeks and months to come.

"I promise to keep your secret if you promise to take a test."

The ladies looked at each other for a long time before Juvia finally let out a heavy sigh and nodded. "Deal."

Half an hour later, Levy returned to the room with a test. She only had to wait a few very long minutes for the test to process. The result might as well have been a neon sign. Positive tests didn't get _more_ positive than that.

Neither Juvia nor Levy were particularly surprised at that point, but it still hit them hard. You could have cut the tension with a knife. They didn't know what to say. Levy had her own opinions on what Juvia should do, but one look at her face told her it wasn't an option. Juvia looked like the entire world had collapsed around her and she didn't understand why. Sure, it was a surprise, but she was madly in love with the father. Could it really be that terrible? Gray had to care, right?!

"Penny for your thoughts?" Levy asked when she couldn't take it any longer.

"Juvia can't tell him," Juvia whispered.

"Wait. What?!" Her jaw dropped. "Why _can't_ you tell Gray?!"

"You don't understand, Levy. We aren't... together."

"You're together enough, clearly!" Levy snapped back, her own pregnancy hormones kicking in. "Juvia, you're not making any sense!"

"Juvia won't ruin Gray-sama's life, Levy-chan. We haven't made any promises. He doesn't owe me anything, but I know Gray-sama. If he knew Juvia was pregnant, he'd do the right thing."

"What's so wrong with that?!"

"Juvia wanted to be with Gray-sama because he is in love with her. Juvia doesn't want Gray-sama stuck with her out of a sense of responsibility." The first tear rolled down her cheeks.

"Gray deserves to know."

The Water Wizard shook her head so vigorously it made her dizzy. "No, Levy. If Gray-sama doesn't know, he won't be hurt."

"That's not fair to you either."

"Promise me you won't tell him." The panic in Juvia's eyes was the only thing that kept Levy from refusing.

"Juvia..."

"Levy, please!" When the sob tore from Juvia's chest, the smaller girl found herself agreeing almost against her will.

"Alright... I promise."

* * *

For the next month, Levy found herself as Juvia's partner in crime. On one side, it was great. She got to know her husband's best friend better, and she loved the Water Wizard even more. Despite Juvia's incomprehensible decision to keep her pregnancy a secret from everyone, she was one of the sweetest, most pure-hearted people Levy had ever known. It was hard to remember that she'd once been in a dark guild.

When Juvia was finishing her first trimester, it was becoming harder to hide her changing body. Gajeel had even told her she as gaining weight. If Levy hadn't been there, she might have become a widow.

The entire month, Levy had been hoping that Juvia would change her mind, but she didn't. So, the day Juvia announced that she was leaving town, Levy wasn't surprised.

"Please, don't go," Levy begged. Not only did the smaller woman not want Levy to be alone, but she also knew she'd miss her friend.

"Juvia has to..."

"At least tell me where you're going!"

* * *

By the time Juvia left town, the girls had a solid plan. Juvia had sent a letter to Mirajane saying a friend needed her help, and she'd be away from the guild for a while. Then the Water Wizard packed a single bag and left town, only giving her address to Levy who promised to visit once per week.

It worked well for nearly a month. The women met once per week and everyone had taken Juvia's letter at face value so almost no one was worried. There was only one person who was talking about it... and Gajeel had plenty to say.

"Are you _sure _Juvia didn't say _anything _to you before she left?" her husband asked her for ten thousandth time and every time Levy had to lie about it, it broke her heart.

"I'm sure. She didn't say a thing."

"Even when she ran off to follow Gray and join Fairy Tail, she kept in touch. It doesn't smell right, Levy... Something is going and I'm gonna figure it out."

"I'm sure she's fine, Gajeel."

"We'll see..."

That was one thing Levy loved about her husband, he was incredibly loyal to his friends. That being said, Gajeel would find out eventually... and when he did, she wasn't sure how he'd react.

When Levy was six months pregnant, the Redfox's knew they were expecting twins and after a minor spotting scare, Levy was told to take it easy. From then on, Gajeel didn't let her out of his sight and that was a problem. There was no way to check on Juvia in secret if Gajeel was always around.

When it'd been two full weeks since her last visit with Juvia, the bluenette began to panic. She needed to confide in someone, and Lily was the only one she could trust. He would understand. One day, when Gajeel was in the bathroom, Levy confessed it all to Lily and at the very end, she asked, "Will you help me?"

"Will Lily help you with _what_?!"

Gajeel walked into the room with fire in his eyes. It was clear he knew Levy had been keeping a secret, and he wasn't amused.

Levy let out a heavy sigh. The jig as up and, honestly, she was relieved. Juvia might never forgive her but she couldn't lie to Gajeel anymore and she secretly hoped he'd be able to bring her home.

"Gajeel, I'm sorry."

As she told the story, she watched her husband getting angrier and angrier with each reveal and when she finished, there was dead silence in the room. It made Levy and Lily jump when Gajeel turned around and punched a hole through the closest wall. A moment later, he stomped out of the front door only to return 45 minutes later with a very concerned looking Mirajane.

Her husband looked like a thundercloud when he walked up to Levy. "Mira will keep an eye on you. Give me Juvia's address. I'm bringing her home."


	3. Chapter 3

Consequences

By: juvia0613 (FayeValentine00)

Chapter 3

* * *

One hour later, Gajeel was standing alone in front of Juvia's apartment building. Lily had offered to come but the Dragon Slayer refused. His excuse was that he wanted Lily to stay with Levy in case something happened but, in reality, this was a conversation Gajeel and Juvia needed to have alone. As angry as he was about everything, he knew Juvia and he was sure she wasn't doing okay at all.

The Dragon Slayer found the door he was looking for and knocked. Gajeel really hoped she was home, if not, he was prepared to sit there as long as it took. Thankfully, the door opened a few seconds later and there she was, his oldest friend, wearing a thin blue dress that showed off her four-month baby belly that Levy had warned him to expect.

He'd been prepared for her to slam the door in his face, but she didn't. Juvia just stared up at him like she'd seen a ghost. "Gajeel-kun..." The Water Wizard looked around for a minute and real concern crossed her face. "Where's Levy?"

"At home," he answered carefully. The fact that Juvia asked about Levy before worrying about herself calmed him down a little. Part of his anger stemmed from the fact that she had dragged Levy into this mess with her but maybe it wasn't going to be that simple at all. "Are you going to invite me in?"

He watched the blue-haired woman consider her chances of escape but almost immediately gave up and stepped back. "Come in."

According to Levy, Juvia had been living there for over a month but when he looked around, she had almost nothing. It didn't make any. He knew all too well that Juvia had plenty of money. She'd been stockpiling since their Phantom Lord days. She had a bed, a small square table and two chairs.

"Have a seat. Juvia will make some tea."

As Gajeel sat down, the Water Wizard turned towards the kitchen, but he caught her arm and pulled her into the chair across from him. "Just sit down."

When she did, Juvia looked up at him and he saw what he'd expected the whole time. Her eyes were empty. She looked so much like that girl from so many years ago that it gave him a chill. He was shocked that it wasn't raining outside... yet.

"Gajeel-kun... why are you here?" Her words were cold but, even now, her tone was caring. She'd always been like that with him.

"I could ask you the same question."

Silence fell between the best friends. It was a stalemate. There was so much to say but neither knew where to start. Finally, it was Juvia who couldn't take it anymore. Climbing back to her feet, she sighed. "Go home to your wife. ... Juvia is fine."

She attempted to walk past him again, but he caught her arm. "I'm not leaving without you." Gajeel looked her straight in the eyes, his words deadly serious but she wasn't having any of it.

"Then Juvia hopes Gajeel-kun likes sleeping on the floor because he'll be waiting a long time." Her snappy retort was so unexpected, he actually let go of her arm and looked offended.

"What the hell is going on with you?!"

She turned away from him just as he heard the first drops of rain hit the window. A few seconds later, it was a downpour. Even with her back to him, Gajeel knew Juvia was crying. If it was any person in the world other than Levy or Juvia, he would have walked straight out the door, but it _was _Juvia, so he took a deep breath and climbed to his feet.

"Please, Gajeel-kun... Just go home," she sobbed, her whole body heaving with her silent sobs.

The Iron Dragon Slayer took one step forward, turned Juvia around and pulled her into a protective hug. She stiffened at first but, a moment later, the floodgates opened and she sobbed loudly into his chest until she could barely stand. He sobs turned into coughing gags and he became seriously worried she was going to make herself sick.

"Hey... Juvia," he said in his most soothing voice. He was desperate to make her listen. "You'll make yourself sick. That's not good for you or the baby, right?"

He was relieved when Juvia made an obvious effort to pull herself together. It took serious effort to slow her breathing, and she tried to wipe her face with her hands. When she seemed steady on her feet again, Gajeel walked away long enough to find her some tissue. Once she regained her composure, he tried again.

"Come home. You can stay with me and Levy." Their eyes met, and he saw it. For just a second, there was hope. She didn't need to be in this self-imposed exile and that was all he needed to know. "No one is going to blame you. Just tell Gray what's going on and-"

"Juvia won't tell Gray-sama!" Her words were firm and there was fire in his eyes.

"Why?!"

Several conflicting thoughts ran through the Dragon Slayers mind at once, causing him to shout louder than he'd intended.

#1 - He was mad for Juvia. Why should she be stuck agonizing over this while Gray ran across the country without a care in the world?

#2 - Why wouldn't she just tell him? Juvia was madly in love with Gray Fullbuster. He'd never seen anyone _more_ in love that this woman so why would she just cut him off.

#3 - As a father-to-be, he couldn't imagine having a child out there in the world and not having any idea. All you had to do was watch Gildarts with Cana even now and you knew it'd be terrible.

"Juvia isn't going to ruin Gray-sama's life."

Gajeel looked at his best friend like she had two heads. "So... You'll ruin your life but not his?"

When Juvia looked away and didn't answer, it pissed him off. He'd hit the nail on the head, and he knew it. Gajeel just stared at her until she finally looked up at him again.

"Juvia, we've been friends for a long time. I love you like a sister and I'd do just about anything for you. You know that, right?" To most people, Gajeel's confession would be shocking but the Water Wizard knew every word was true. So, reluctantly, she nodded. "Good... Then remember that when I say what needs to be said..."

Gajeel waited until Juvia nodded and then he snapped. An iron rod shot out from his arm, smashing her tables to splinters. The noise made her jump and her eyes widened in surprise, but she wasn't afraid. "Water Woman, this is a promise. You say you won't come home because you don't want to ruin Gray's life but, I swear to God... If you don't come home, _I'll_ ruin his life! Either way, he's screwed. Your choice."

Another stalemate but Juvia knew she was fighting a losing battle. In fact, blue-haired woman knew she'd been fighting a losing battle since the moment she'd opened the front door. Gajeel had made his loyalties crystal clear and, for better or worse, he was leaving her no choice.

"Gajeel-kun," she whispered, defeat already evident in her tone.

"Come home. Levy is waiting for you too."

After careful consideration, she nodded slowly. "Juvia will come home, but under one condition."

"What's that?" Gajeel asked, ready to agree to just about anything to get her back to Magnolia.

"Juvia doesn't expect anything from Gray-sama. Promise Juvia that Gajeel-kun will leave him alone. This isn't his fault."

"Yes, it is," he muttered darkly. When Juvia flashed him a dirty look, he scoffed but nodded. "Okay. I'll let you deal with Gray. Just come home."

"... Okay."

* * *

On the way home, Gajeel confessed that Mirajane knew the truth. It was the only way he'd gotten her out of the guildhall for the entire day. If Mira knew, that meant soon everyone would know... and that meant Gray was bound to find out. It terrified Juvia, and she had to make a concerted effort to harden her heart, so she'd be ready when he came home.

It was late at night when Gajeel opened the front door, but Levy was still there to fling her arms around Juvia the moment she stepped inside.

"Welcome home," Levy said with tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered softly.

"I'm home," Juvia answered with matching tears of her own.

Mirajane greeted the Water Wizard next with her signature kind smile, not even batting an eye at Juvia's stomach. They all sat together and talked over what to do. Juvia wanted to hide it from the guild but, at the end of the day, everyone else convinced the Water Wizard that it was better to have the support of her friends.

* * *

The next afternoon Juvia's hands were trembling. She was wearing another flowy dress that she'd hoped would conceal her stomach but as soon as she left the house; she feared it had the opposite effect.

"Juvia looks pregnant," she complained as they made their way to Fairy Tail.

"That's because you _are _pregnant," Levy snickered, reaching out to take Juvia's hand. "It will be okay. I promise."

"Mira called a guild meeting!" she cried, wanting to run, but Levy held her tight.

"It's better if we just get everything out in the open all at once, don't you think?"

"Yeah..."

Five minutes later, Gajeel opened the guildhall doors for the two visibly pregnant women. The moment people saw Juvia, you could've heard a pin drop. It was nearly a minute before Cana broke the silence with a low whistle.

Juvia, with a lot of help from Levy and a good deal of unnecessary asides from Gajeel, explained her situation. She didn't mention Gray's name at all. She just explained that she and the father weren't together, and she didn't need or expect anything from him.

"You should have told us," Lisanna complained sweetly, giving her former S-Class test teammate a big hug.

"Juvia's sorry."

"You really weren't going to tell Gray?" When Gildarts spoke up, his tone was full of disapproval. Also, he'd thrown down the gauntlet. He was challenging her to deny that Gray was the father, but even Juvia knew that there was no point in lying about it at this point.

Absolute panic crossed Juvia's face, and it had nothing to do with Gray. It had everything to do with the menacing expression on the normally kind man's face. But, with Gajeel protectively by her side and Levy holding her hand, Juvia took a deep breath and managed the truth.

"No. Juvia was hoping to keep it a secret."

That double admission made more than one person gasp. Fairy Tail was her home, and these people had been her family for years. But many of these had known Gray a lot longer, and the news was hard for them to take.

Gildarts opened his mouth to say something else that was bound to be cutting but stopped when Cana put a hand on his shoulder and shook her head. "Not right now."

When the older man backed down, Juvia's sigh of relief was audible. She was exhausted by everything, more emotionally than physically. The Water Wizard just wanted this to be over.

Bisca was the next person to speak up. Leaving Asuka with Al, she crossed the room and pulled Juvia into a tight hug. "Don't be afraid to rely on us more. You're both family, so let us help you, okay?"

Juvia was choked up but managed to nod and then Mira was there. "Do you want to move back into the dorm?" She asked as if raising a child at Fairy Hills was no big deal, but Levy stopped that train in its tracks.

"Juvia is going to live with me and Gajeel for a while." Levy answered with a smile. "We'll take good care of her and she can help me too."

All their friends collectively agreed that Levy's idea was the best and slowly the meeting wrapped up. A few people came over to offer hugs, assistance and awkward well wishes but, to her relief, no one asked about Gray. This was all she could handle right now.

Juvia might have hardened her heart to the fact that she would take care of the baby on her own, but she couldn't make herself forget about Gray, not completely. She'd fallen in love with him the first time she laid eyes on him and no matter how much she tried to lie to the others, she couldn't lie to herself. She still loved Gray from the very bottom of her heart.


	4. Chapter 4

Consequences

By: juvia0613 (FayeValentine00)

Chapter 4

* * *

Late that night, when just about everyone had gone home, Mirajane, Gildarts and Cana sat at the bar having a drink... even Mira. No one was talking. Cana and Mira's loyalties were torn over the issue but Gildarts saw it as a black-and-white issue. You weren't allowed to deny a man the chance to be a father. Whatever Juvia's reasoning might be or whatever excuse she gave, the Water Wizard was being selfish.

"I understand we can't just tell Gray, but we _have_ to get him back to Magnolia. If we don't, he'll never forgive us... or himself." Gildarts finished the second half of his drink in one go.

"But how?" Cana had been thinking the same thing but didn't have any answers.

"Team Natsu is on the 100 Years Quest and they seem to be making progress. I don't think it will be easy to get them back without lying."

"The truth would get him back." That scornful remark earned Gildarts two dirty looks.

"Okay. So, we need a reason to bring Gray home that isn't the truth but isn't a lie," Cana began, thinking as she took a long swig from her keg. "What if we just send a letter saying we need some help at the guild and ask if they can come home for a few days?"

"That might work," Mira agreed, trying to sound hopeful, but that optimism didn't reach her eyes. "We should at least try."

The next day Mirajane sent a letter to Lucy. It was vague, but it had just enough urgency that she hoped they'd take it seriously. They addressed the letter to the next town the team was scheduled to stop in and then they waited.

The next nine days were the longest of their lives. They'd been hoping the reply would come in the form of their friends walking through the door, but it was no surprise when it was just a letter, obviously written by Lucy. It was an apology. They'd uncovered a new lead and were making good progress on the job so they couldn't come back home yet.

"Dammit!" Cana let out a stream of colorful curses, as she glanced across the hall at Juvia.

Today was the first time since her announcement that Juvia had spent time in the guildhall. At first, she'd been really aloof but the constant stream of chatter from their friends melted her and now she was smiling and laughing almost like before. The only difference was her eyes. Despite her attempts at normalcy, the Water Wizard's eyes looked perpetually sad. That was never the expression you wanted to see on a pregnant woman.

Gildarts climbed to his feet, grabbed Lucy's letter, his cloak and half of the sandwich from Cana's plate. "That's enough. I'll take it from here."

"What are you planning to do?" Cana asked, jumping to her feet.

"I'm going to get Gray and bring him home."

Both girls looked dumbstruck and, as much as they thought about stopping him, Cana and Mira were out of ideas. The Card Magic user glanced over at Juvia again and sighed. The bluenette was almost 5 months pregnant now and her normally flat stomach was now obvious to anyone who glanced her way. They really couldn't wait any longer.

"I'll go with you."

But her father just shook his head. "I'll be faster alone. ... Besides, I want to talk to Gray."

"Promise me you won't tell him about Juvia," Mirajane asked Gildarts with a stern expression.

"I promise. ... But I don't promise not to kidnap him."

Despite herself, Mira snickered. "Okay."

* * *

It took Gildarts almost two weeks to track down those damn kids. Every time he caught a lead, they'd already moved on, but they'd always been like that. Maybe it was why they were so infamous so young.

However, once he found them, getting Gray to leave was a different story. The option of just kidnapping Gray sounded better and better but Gray was a hell of a wizard. The Ice Devil Slayer probably couldn't beat Gildarts in a fight on his best day, but he had a decent chance of escaping. He needed to convince Gray to come on his own, but how?

He was mulling this over when the wind changed directions and Natsu spun around with a huge smile on his face. "Gildarts!"

A minute later five of the liveliest members of Fairy Tail and two Exceeds were beaming up at him. Despite everything that was going on, Gildarts was reminded of how much he loved all of them.

"What are you doing here?" Erza asked conversationally. It was only when he hesitated that the Requip Wizards demeanor changed ever so slightly. "Is everything okay?"

"Umm... yeah. It's fine. I just have some business here."

"Here?!" Lucy looked around. They were in a tiny one-horse town that was hardly more than a single street. Team Natsu was here to meet an informant. His own informant had given him that intel but what other reason could he come up with? Then he just said, fuck it. It didn't matter. Gildarts only promised to not tell Gray about Juvia. Everything else was fair game.

"Actually, I was looking for you guys," he confessed.

"Well, you found us," Gray offered with a smile, seeming perfectly relaxed which, admittedly unfairly, pissed Gildarts off. After having to watch Juvia the last couple of weeks, he wanted to tell the Ice Devil Slayer everything, but a promise is a promise.

"Gray, you need to come back to Magnolia... today." The larger more imposing man added, speaking forcefully enough to take the black-haired man aback.

"Me?! Why?"

All Gray's teammates turned to look at him, but he was just as confused as anyone else. What could be so important that it not only couldn't wait but Gildarts, of all people, was the messenger?

"Don't worry about that right now. Just get your stuff." Gildarts turned to walk away, but that kid had been stubborn since he'd met him all those years ago and told him about Fairy Tail. He'd never been one to just blindly follow orders.

"We're right in the middle of a job. I can't just leave!" The Devil Slayer looked exasperated, and he didn't move a muscle.

"Gray, I think you should go." Those words came from the most unexpected voice in the group. Wendy took a step forward and met Gildarts eyes. Memories of the embarrassing conversation she'd overheard came flowing back to her, then the Sky Dragon Slayer did come quick math, and lastly, she took in to account that Gildarts was here. If Wendy was correct, and she prayed that she wasn't, the bluenette had to help.

"Wait, what?!" Surprise was clear on Gray's face.

"Wendy, what are you talking about?" Erza looked between Wendy and Gildarts who seemed to be having a private conversation without saying a word. "Can someone explain what's going on?"

Finally, Wendy dropped her gaze and turned to Erza, forcing a smile despite the fact that she felt physically ill. "I don't know but... I think we should trust Gildarts."

"Are you serious?" Gray was floored. Despite the fact that Wendy was the youngest, they all trusted her judgment. In many ways, she was the most level-headed member of the team.

"Yes. It will be fine."

It took a while longer but ultimately Gray agreed to go to, promising to meet back up with the team as soon as whatever what going on was taken care of.

As soon as Gray and Gildarts got out of town and well beyond the Dragon Slayers hearing range, Gray threw down his pack and confronted the Crush Magic user. "Are you finally going to tell me what's going on?!"

"No." The simple one-word answer, delivered calmly, didn't leave any room for negotiation. "I'm going to show you."

Gildarts continued walking, leaving Gray with no other choice but to pick his pack back off the ground and chase after his friend. They were still several days outside of Magnolia. Surely Gildarts would at least give him a hint by then.

They didn't talk much that first day and there seemed to be a very deliberate wall between them that Gray didn't understand. Gildarts had always been his friend, and they'd always had a good relationship, so he didn't know what he' done to mess that up. By Day two, Gray didn't even care _why _anymore. He just wanted to work things out.

"If I did something to piss you off, I'm sorry."

Gildarts lets out a long sigh and shook his head, giving Gray a reluctant smile. "I'm not angry at you... I'm sworn to secrecy."

"What?!"

"Just... Let's talk about anything else." The older man paused for a minute considering and then came up with the safest question he could think of "What do you guys plan to do when you finish the 100 Years Quest?"

He hadn't expected the blush that crept into Gray's cheeks. "I don't know about everyone else, but I have a plan."

"And what's that?"

"I'm going to tell Juvia how I feel." Gray admitted it so easily, it was obvious he'd made the decision a long time ago.

Gildarts was blindsided. He wanted to say a lot of things but didn't. Instead, he just hoped that the Ice Make Wizard got his chance. "I think that's a great idea."

* * *

As soon as Gray and Gildarts were well out of sight, Wendy dropped down in the soft grass and put her face in her hands. She had a really bad feeling about this.

"What's going on, Wendy?" Lucy asked, squatting down beside her friend.

"I don't know for sure, so I don't want to say it out loud but... I think we should go home too." All eyes turned to her in confusion, but she didn't waiver. "If this is what I think, Gray's going to need us."

Erza, Lucy and Natsu deliberated. Natsu was dead set against going home. They'd been waiting years for the chance to take this job and Gray was an adult. He'd be fine. Lucy was torn. She wanted to stay on the quest but the exchange between Wendy and Gildarts had her worried. Erza was the final vote, and she both trusted Gildarts and Wendy and was worried about Gray.

The 100 Years Quest was officially put on hold.

* * *

By the time Gray got back to Magnolia, he and Gildarts were back to normal but as they got closer and closer to town, the Devil Slayer noticed the older man becoming increasingly uncomfortable.

"Where are we going?" Gray finally asked when they took a sideroad away from the guildhall.

"We're going to Gajeel and Levy's house."

"Why? I don't understand any of this!"

Gray's irritation was growing all over again. So, by the time Gildarts delivered him to the house and Gajeel was there to meet him at the porch with his most menacing expression, Gray immediately went on the defensive.

Gajeel's first words weren't a threat, they were a promise. "If you do anything to hurt her, I'll kill you."


	5. Chapter 5

Consequences

By: juvia0613 (FayeValentine00)

Chapter 5

* * *

What?!" Gray was over all this cryptic shit and he wasn't afraid to say it. "Just tell me what the hell is going on so I can leave!"

The flash of malice that crossed Gajeel's face made the Ice Devil Slayer stop and think. Why the hell would Gajeel be so angry? They were friends. Also, he's said, "If you do anything to hurt her…" There were only two women in this world that Gajeel was _that_ protective of, Levy and Juvia.

Very, very, very slowly, things began to click into place.

The letter from Mirajane, Gildarts, the sworn secrecy, Gajeel's anger, the fact that he hadn't received a letter from Juvia in months. His stomach dropped. Something had to be wrong with Juvia. But even if he had an inkling of the truth, his mind wasn't processing it.

"Where's Juvia?" Gray's tone changed from anger to confusion and that made Gajeel back off too.

"In the house."

He didn't see Gildarts and Gajeel exchange a look so he couldn't see that they were even more worried than he was. The fact of the matter was they already knew the truth while he was walking in blind.

Levy was there when he walked through the door. She'd gotten huge since the last time he'd seen her, but she was 7 months pregnant with twins, so he guessed that was to be expected. She gave Gray a half-smile and pointed down the hall. "Second door on the right."

"Thanks."

Gray's heart was pounding, and he could hear his own pulse thumping in his ears. The Ice Make Wizard was freaking out, and he didn't even know why. To make matter worse, _everyone else _seemed to know, but him. It took Gray a long time to get to that second door on the right and when he did, he just stood there. Gildarts had promised to show him and this was his moment of truth.

He hated himself for being weak, but his hand was shaking when he knocked on the door.

* * *

Juvia was folding the last piece of laundry when she heard a knock at her bedroom door. It had to be Levy. Gajeel usually just barged on without thinking. "Coming!"

The Water Wizard put down the shirt and with a smile. It was a good day. Juvia had energy, the sun was shining, and it was the kind of day where she could almost believe that everything would be okay. Although it was normal to see Juvia in flowy dresses, right now the weather was so warm that she was actually wearing maternity clothes. The shorts and tank top she wore seemed to accentuate her bump. Levy was forever telling her that she was lucky to be "cute pregnant" (meaning the only places she'd really gained weight were her breasts and bump) so the bluenette decided to enjoy it.

That's what she'd been thinking about when she turned the knob, opened the door and found herself face to face with Gray Fullbuster. Her stomach lurched and the wave of nausea hit her so hard, she was almost ill. Every cell in Juvia's body was screaming for her to do _something_ but she couldn't move. Instead, she was forced to stand their frozen while Gray looked her over from head to toe. When he saw the visual evidence of her condition, his expression went completely blank and that was the moment Juvia regained her senses. She did the only think she could think of. The Water Wizard slammed the door in Gray's face and locked it.

Her whole body was trembling. This wasn't supposed to happen. Gray wasn't supposed to be here, and he wasn't supposed to find out about it yet... especially not like this! Juvia had to put her hand to the door to steady herself. Her mind was racing yet nothing made sense.

There was absolute silence on the other side of the door and she almost thought he'd left until she heard his hoarse whisper. "Juvia, open the door."

If Gray only knew how badly she wanted to do that, but she couldn't. She couldn't move. It took everything in her just to stay on her feet.

Then she heard his voice come again, this time a little closer to normal. "Juvia, at least talk to me."

Again, the Water Wizard said nothing. She couldn't. She didn't trust herself. If she allowed herself a single word, she knew what would happen and it would be all too easy. She wanted to be with Gray forever, always had, and this was her chance. If she opened that door and fell into his arms, they could be together, but it would be wrong. It would be taking advantage of the situation and Juvia knew she couldn't live with that.

"Dammit, Juvia! Say _something_!" Anger was setting in. She could hear it in his voice as much as she could feel his aura through the door.

Juvia told herself over and over that Gray didn't need this and he didn't ask for this. She wanted to be loved for herself, not because they had a child together but even as she tried to convince herself, the first tear fell.

"DOES EVERYONE KNOW?!" Juvia heard something in the hallway crash to the ground, glass shattering and it made her jump. "So, you can talk to every other person in the entire guild, but you couldn't tell me?! God Dammit, Juvia! I SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE FIRST PERSON YOU WENT TO!"

When his voice cracked, Juvia collapsed to her knees. She needed him to go. Gray needed to stop. She didn't want to hear any of it. Juvia had to believe that Gray was better off without her baggage. That was the only thing that kept her from giving in.

She heard a heavy thump outside and when Gray spoke again, his voice came from just on the other side of the door. He must have been sitting on the ground because she heard the door creak when he rested his head against it.

She could hear Gray's unsteady breathing before he spoke again. This time he was calm, and his voice was pleading. "Please talk to me."

He was crying and every one of his words was thick with emotion. All she wanted was for him to stop. Every word was torture, but he just kept going.

"I don't know what you're thinking... But you _have _to tell me something... anything... Seriously, Juvia. This involved both of us…"

As he spoke, Juvia was slowly losing it. She laid down on the floor and rolled herself up protectively. 'Please stop. Please stop. Please stop. Please go home. Please, just leave me alone.' She thought the words over and over in her mind, trying to drown out his words but it didn't work. Every syllable he uttered was permanently etched into her mind.

"We can get through this together... but… you have to talk to me…"

After that, all Juvia could hear on the other side of the door were his sobs and her heart shattered. Her own sobs drowned out his and she laid there until she cried herself out.

* * *

The only thing Gajeel could hear in the house was sobbing and for the first time in years, he cursed his supernatural hearing.

Levy has been listening to Gray beg Juvia for any kind of response and now she was lying on their bed bawling her eyes out. She kept telling him that this was all her fault and she should have told Gray regardless of her promise to Juvia.

He could hear Juvia crying in her room but at this point even he didn't know what she was thinking. He'd been mad at Gray this entire time because Juvia was his best friend, but it was impossible to ignore the Ice Make Wizards earnest pleas. If Gajeel ever doubted how Gray felt about Juvia, he didn't anymore. It was obvious that he was in love with her and somehow that silly lovesick idiot didn't believe it.

Then there was Gray. The dark-haired man was literally sitting on the floor of his hallway crying and looking like his world had ended but that was only because Juvia wouldn't open that fucking door. Maybe a better friend would have broken that door down, dragged Juvia out and forced her to talk. (In fact, Gajeel half-wondered why Gray hadn't done just that.)

But right now, Gajeel was worried about Levy. They'd already had me scare this pregnancy, and he wasn't going to let Gray and Juvia's personal issues cause another.

Now, Gajeel wasn't the most tactful person in the world but even he put serious consideration into how to handle the Devil Slayer. Gajeel walked down the hall and sat against the wall a few feet away from Gray and sighed. He really didn't care if Juvia heard or not.

"What am I supposed to do?" Gray looked up at Gajeel, completely lost.

Even Gajeel didn't have an answer. What made sense in Juvia's mind was a mystery to everyone else. So, instead of blowing smoke up his ass, the Iron Dragon Slayer shrugged. "I don't even know."

"I have to get her to talk to me!" Gray's voice was intense, but it wasn't angry or hostile. He was desperate. "I don't understand why Juvia didn't tell me... I deserve to know what she's thinking. This involves me too!" He ran a rough hand across his eyes to wipe away the new tears that had begun to fall.

"I know." Even Gajeel felt terrible for Gray now. There were four people in the house, and they were all absolutely miserable.

The men sat there for a long time in silence, both lost in thought but when he heard Levy start crying again, the Dragon Slayer got to his feet and looked at Gray apologetically.

"Look, Gray... I'm sorry, but Levy's really upset, and this isn't good for her."

The Ice Devil Slayer got the hint and nodded. He wiped his eyes roughly one more time and climbed to his feet. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry for what this is putting you and Levy through."

Gajeel couldn't stop the smirk from crossing his face. He saw what Gray did there. They both knew Juvia could hear them and Gray specifically didn't apologize about Juvia or the pregnancy. He _only_ apologized for what it did to his friends.

"Thanks for taking care of Juvia." Then, before he left, Gray turned back to that closed door one last time and spoke clearly and calmly for the first time. "This isn't over, Juvia. I'm not letting it end like this."

After that, he left the house without another word, leaving Gajeel slightly in awe. Everything had gone sideways and somehow this first visit ended with Gajeel annoyed with Juvia and wanting to help Gray. He was getting soft... and when Juvia was feeling better; she was going to get a serious earful.

* * *

When Gray left the Redfox home, the rain was pouring down in sheets. He didn't know what to do or where to go. He felt completely cried out, emotionally exhausted and the last thing he wanted was to talk to anyone in the guild. He felt seriously betrayed right now. He was sure everyone had their reasons for going along with Juvia's obvious desire to keep him in the dark but, at the moment, he wasn't ready to hear it.

He rounded the corner and nearly walked straight into Gildarts, who'd obviously been waiting for him. Gray knew he looked like hell, but he didn't care. He was beyond caring but when Gildarts looked down on him this time, his eyes were full of fatherly concern. That was what he really needed, so when the red-haired man put his good arm around Gray's shoulders, the younger man dropped his head to Gildarts chest and let himself cry one more time.

Twenty minutes later, they were sitting in a bar, far away from the guild and Gildarts just listened as Gray told him whatever came to mind. It really broke the Crush Magic users' heart.

Gildarts knew why Cornelia hadn't told him about Cana. For better or worse, he could see that he had made mistakes that led to her decision but that wasn't the problem here. Gray clearly loved Juvia, and she refused to believe it. All he could do now was try to be supportive because Gildarts was probably the only person who could even begin to understand how he felt.


	6. Chapter 6

Consequences

By: juvia0613 (FayeValentine00)

Chapter 6

* * *

After having a drink with Gildarts, Gray wandered aimlessly through rainy Magnolia all night and into the next morning. He was just a shell. He was exhausted, and he felt like nothing made sense anymore. The one place that had always been his refuge was the one place he didn't want to be, and he didn't even have his closest friends here to talk to.

Finally, when Gray thought he'd collapse in the street, he stopped at an inn and rented a room. It was only the second time he ever regretted living in the men's dorms. As soon as he got into the room, Gray kicked off his shoes, stripped off his clothes down to his underwear and passed out on the bed, not even bothering with the covers.

He awoke to the sound of a knock at the door. He was disoriented after being roused from a deep sleep, but he knew he wasn't home so why would anyone be bothering him? He looked at the window and, despite the rain, could tell it was dusk. He must have slept all day.

*knock, knock, knock*

This time the sound was louder and more impatient. So, with a groan, Gray crawled out of bed, stomped across the room and threw the door open with a scowl. "What do you want?!"

But as soon as the words passed his lips, he froze. Erza was standing in the doorway looking concerned. "E-Erza?! What are you doing here?"

"Wendy helped me find you. She wouldn't tell me why, but she said I needed to come talk to you." He watched her eyes look him over head to toe, a million questions bubbling just below the surface before she sighed deeply and met his eyes again. "You look terrible. What happened?"

Gray didn't know what to do. Part of him just wanted to crawl back into bed and never come out, but the other part of him desperately needed someone to talk to. If anyone could help him, maybe it was his almost-sister.

"Come inside. We need to talk."

He let Erza come inside and have a seat in the one chair the sparse room contained. He hadn't really been thinking about entertaining guests when he'd chosen the smallest room in the place. While she watched him in obvious confusion, Gray attempted to collect his thoughts while he pulled on his pants and shirt, not bothering to button the latter.

When he was finally as ready as he'd ever be, Gray sat on the foot of the bed, a few feet from Erza. A moment later he said words that he'd never imagined himself saying at this point in his life. "Juvia's pregnant."

He watched Erza with detached emotions. He watched her whole body tense as she tried to make sense of his words. It looked like she was willing those words to mean anything other than just that. She also looked confused and a little uncomfortable. He knew what her first question was going to be, and he was still too raw to beat around the bush. Putting her out of her misery, he added, "and, before you ask… Yes, it's mine."

The full body sigh of relief Erza released would have made him smile if the situation hadn't been so serious. The Requip Wizard had always encouraged Gray to tell Juvia how he felt. Maybe if he'd listened to her before, he wouldn't be in this position now.

"B-But… when?" Erza finally asked, trying to get a grasp on things.

"The night of Lucy's party." Gray was answering on autopilot. He felt numb, and he was trying to keep it that way out of self-preservation.

He watched Erza's jaw drop before he watched her mouth the names of the months between then and now. When it clicked for her, Erza shrieked, "That was five months ago!"

"Yeah…" All he could do was nod emotionlessly.

"But wait... Five months ago?! D-Did you have sex in the dorms?!" Erza's unexpected outrage was the first thing that brought a bit of life back to Gray.

"What?!"

"You and Juvia both live in the dorms. That would break our second most important housing rule. ... Gray, if they find out, you could be evicted!"

"Wait! ... I tell you Juvia is pregnant with my child and _that's _what you're worried about?!"

Gray knew Erza tended to break when faced with emotional or embarrassing situations she couldn't handle but this took the cake. His mind was absolutely blown. "_Where"_ had to be, LITERALLY, the least important question that could be asked.

"Yes! It's a huge violation!"

"Oh my God! Look, it wasn't at the dorms, so don't worry about it!" Gray was practically shouting, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. This wasn't the conversation he'd been hoping for at all.

"Then where?" The scary, disbelieving sister voice was in full affect now and the Ice Devil Slayer knew he wasn't going to get any further into this conversation until he told her the truth. Whatever, it wasn't like he had anything else to lose at that point, anyway.

"We broke into Lucy's apartment while everyone was at the party." Gray could feel his face growing hotter with each word, as memories of that night popped into his head like they had so often during the 100 Years Quest.

Erza's face turned bright red too. Either she hadn't expected him to answer, or she hadn't expected _that _answer, but it effectively ended that line of questioning. When she recovered, Erza was back to concerned big sister mood.

"Alright, Gray. Tell me everything."

So, he did. Gray gave Erza the basic, non-detailed version of that night, their goodbye, the realization that he was truly in love with Juvia... everything. Then he got to yesterday's events, and it felt like his heart was breaking all over again.

"By the time I got to the house, I was mad. Gildarts wouldn't tell me anything and then Gajeel was pissed. It didn't even occur to me that this had anything to do with Juvia until I was standing at the front door!" Gray let out a long breath, trying to control his emotions. He'd cried enough in the last day to last a lifetime so he couldn't let himself fall apart again.

"When I knocked on the bedroom door, I had no idea. She opened the door and the moment I saw her; I saw the answer to all of my questions standing in front of me. It felt like someone punched me in the stomach. I knew what I was seeing but my brain couldn't process it, so I just stared at her."

"I should have said something or hugged her or done _anything. _Instead, I just stood there in shock and let her slam the door in my face. " Gray could feel his hands trembling as he continued. Erza must have noticed because she came over to sit beside him, putting a comforting hand over his.

"I asked her to open the door. ... I told her to just _talk_ to me, but she didn't say a word. ... I swear, Erza… I _begged _her to open that door, but she wouldn't. ... She didn't say anything, and I don't have any idea what to do. ... Somehow, every other person in Fairy Tail knew about this but us."

Gray closed his eyes and willed his tears to stay put. He felt like his heart was being ripped out. The fact that Juvia had decided to cut him off would have been bad enough after all these years, but why now, when he was finally ready to step up? To make things even worse, now there was a baby... _his _baby, and if things didn't change, Gray was terrified that Juvia wouldn't let him be a part of the child's life. That was something he absolutely couldn't live with.

But possibly the most painful thing of all was Juvia. Gray refused to believe that Juvia didn't love him anymore. That wasn't possible. He would never accept that, no matter what she tried to tell herself or anyone else.

"Oh, Gray…" Erza breathed slowly. Gray knew that she didn't have any more answers than he did, but at least she was empathetic. "Do you want me to try talking to her?"

Those words were the first glimpse of hope he'd felt since yesterday. Erza and Juvia had always been close and, more than once, Erza had encouraged Juvia about their relationship. If anyone could get her to open up, it was probably the woman beside him.

"Please talk to her. ... I just want to make sure she'd okay." They both knew he wanted so much more than that, but they had to start somewhere.

When Erza nodded, offering him a smile, he found himself smiling back. "I'll do what I can."

"Thanks."

The Requip Wizard looked Gray over again and spoke carefully. He could tell she was trying not to make him angry. "I think you should go back to the guild."

"What?!" Despite her efforts, the words hit him like a spark to a powder keg. He jumped to his feet and growled. "No! Not right now."

"Then when?!"

The Ice Devil Slayer couldn't answer that, he just turned to the window and stared out into the unnatural rain.

"Gray, they're your family," she said gently, crossing the room to put a hand on his arm.

He scoffed, whirling around to face her. "What kind of family keeps something like this a secret?! Why wouldn't they tell me the minute they knew?!"

"I... I'm sure they had their reasons…" She said the words but even Erza was having trouble understanding.

"Their reasons shouldn't matter! This is literally the most important thing that could happen in my life and I didn't even know!" He knew he was shouting. It wasn't directed at Erza, but maybe at the room, or at God, or at whatever nameless people he could blame for the pain he felt.

"Gray." Erza said his name softly, bringing his attention back to her. "Mira sent us that letter. Go and talk to her. Find out what happened. She tried to get us to come home so not everyone was trying to keep it from you."

He knew what Erza was saying was true, but he had to think about it a long time. It would be so easy to just hold on to his anger and put the blame on everyone else, but he couldn't do it. He needed Fairy Tail just as much as Erza, Natsu or Lucy and, maybe he was hurt right now, but he knew he couldn't just walk away.

"Please try talking to Mira." When Erza looked up, Gray saw empathetic tears swimming in eyes and when Erza was _that_ serious, he couldn't deny her anything.

"… Okay."

She breathed a sigh of relief and then nodded. "And I'll talk to Juvia, okay?"

The slightly optimistic half-smile and the way she tried to give him hope, worked ever so slightly. For the first time since he'd laid eyes on Juvia, he had a sliver of hope that maybe things could work themselves out.


	7. Chapter 7

Consequences

By: juvia0613 (FayeValentine00)

Chapter 7

* * *

The next morning Gray walked into the guildhall. It was packed and loud and, at first, no one paid much attention when the door opened. But as people started to notice him, the noise level dropped, and Gray noticed more than one person visibly pale.

The Ice Devil Slayer figured he must look like hell because no one said anything. They all just started at him, but he ignored them. He kept walking straight towards the bar without acknowledging anybody. He knew he wouldn't have anything nice to say right now until he got some answers.

Mirajane was behind the bar when he arrived, and their eyes met when he was about halfway through the room. When Gray saw the tears well up, most of his anger melted. He couldn't stay mad at Mira when she looked like she might breakdown at any moment.

His heart was pounding by the time he got to her. This was his chance to finally get some answers, an explanation, a timeline... _anything. _But he was afraid. He was afraid to hear what she had to say. It wasn't rational. Hearing facts didn't change reality but still... he was scared.

"Gray…" She whispered his name, looking over his face and his 3 days worn clothes with obvious concern.

"Can we talk?" His voice came out gruffer than he'd intended. He sounded angry, and he was angry, but Mira didn't even seem to notice. She simply nodded and led him out of the hall and down the hallway to the infirmary.

They sat across from each other on the empty patient beds, both waiting to see who would go first.

"What happened?" "Gray, I'm so sorry."

They both started at the same time and then stopped. Gray could see the true regret in Mira's expression, and he had the feeling she needed to get it out, so he offered her a forced half-smile. "You first."

When Mira spoke again, it came out in a rush. The sweet yet sometimes scary woman must have been holding it in for a long time, so when she let it go, her words poured out in a torrent along with her tears. "I am so sorry. We didn't know. Nobody other than Levy knew about Juvia until a month ago. Juvia told us she had something to deal with and she would be gone for a while, so no one was worried. ... But it isn't Levy's fault either. Juvia wanted to run away completely but Levy begged her not to go. She managed to get Juvia to stay nearby and visit with her once a week as long as no one else found out. Levy was keeping an eye on her."

"It wasn't until Levy got sick and couldn't sneak away that Gajeel found out and brought her home. Then they told me and we all convinced her to tell the guild, but she was adamant not to tell you yet."

"But why?!" Gray slammed his fist into the bed. He heard all of Mira's words and he was getting the information he needed. He could see that maybe the entire guild hadn't been in on everything, but he still didn't understand. Why would Juvia feel the need to be so secretive?

Mira shook her head slowly. When she spoke again, her words were more guarded. Gray could tell that this was part of the story that didn't sit well with her. "Juvia said that you guys weren't together... and that you owed her nothing. She said… she wasn't going to ruin your life."

As she said those last words the white-haired woman met his eyes, and he snapped. "What the hell does that even mean!? _THIS_…" he yelled, gesturing wildly around the room to convey the entire situation. "is what is ruining my life!"

"I know," she whispered. "Me, Gildarts and Cana were trying to figure out how to get you back home, but, in the end, Gildarts decided to go on his own. ... Thank God, it worked."

"Cana?" That took him off guard. She was a good friend, but the brown-haired woman tended to stay out of people's business unless she was trying to stir the pot. She must have been pretty upset if she'd joined the planning committee.

"Why are you so shocked? I'm not _that _awful, am I?"

Gray wasn't even surprised when he watched Cana walk into the room with two bottles in her hand and sat down beside him before handing one over.

He thanked her and took a swig of the surprisingly good ale before shaking his head. "No. You aren't awful," he promised.

"What happened yesterday? Gildarts told us you saw Juvia, but he wouldn't tell us anything else. He just took some alcohol and went home to drink alone. He even refused my company when I offered to join him." As Cana spoke, Gray couldn't miss the concerned expression on her face.

Every single time he thought about that meeting with Juvia, it hurt but if these women had been trying to help him; they deserved to know. "She wouldn't talk to me…" He went through it all one last time. He wasn't going to explain it anymore. If people liked to gossip so much, let them tell each other because he was finished repeatedly ripping his heart out.

As he told them the bitter reality of what had happened, including his own breakdown, Mira watched in silent horror while Cana drank her bottle. Then she took his bottle and drank that too. By the end, both of his friends looked as devastated as he felt.

In a weird way, that almost made him feel a little better. Knowing that other people found it just as awful made him feel like his reactions and emotions were justified. All of this was just wrong, and Gray knew he had to turn it around before it was too late.

"Try not to worry, Gray," Cana said with a confident smile. "We'll all help you guys figure it out. It's not just you against the world, I promise."

* * *

While Gray was at Fairy Tail, working to rebuild his relationship with his friends, Erza and Juvia sat side by side on the Water Wizards bed, trying to come to terms with their new reality.

Juvia was trying her best to keep her emotions in check. She could feel the tension coming off Erza in waves and, as much as she wanted to get this conversation over with, she was too afraid to ask.

"So, Juvia... I talked to Gray and—"

*Thump*

The Water Wizard jumped slightly when he felt the solid kick on her right side. Although she'd grown accustomed to the baby's random movements, this kick was stronger than usual. Her hand reflexively went to the spot on her bump and she watched panic flood Erza's face.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?! Should I get someone?" The scarlet-haired woman was already on her feet and about to head for the door when Juvia caught her arm.

Even with the previous tension in the room, Juvia couldn't suppress the giggle that leaked out. "Juvia is fine! She just felt the baby move. That's all!"

"Really?!" That's the moment all the tension left Erza's body too. All the awkwardness of the last few minutes faded away as they bonded over this new revelation. "You can feel it moving already?"

That's when Juvia laughed in earnest. It felt good. "Juvia has been feeling it for a long time now. Does Erza want to feel too?"

"Seriously?!" Mild panic flashed in her eyes but was quickly replaced with curiosity. It occurred to Juvia that the Requip Wizard probably hadn't been around many pregnant women, so this was a good ice-breaking opportunity. Erza had always been one of her closest friends and it scared Juvia that she could lose that.

"Give Juvia your hand."

The blue-haired mother-to-be waited patiently while Erza worked up the courage and held out her hand. When she did, Juvia placed it in just the right spot and waited.

*Thump. Thump. ... Thump*

Erza gasped and would have pulled her hand away if Juvia hadn't been holding it. The Water Wizard watched Erza's wide variety of emotions before the most surprising, final emotion took her off guard. When the baby kicked again, Erza looked up at her, heartbroken, tears shining in her eyes.

"Juvia…" Erza began slowly, choosing her words carefully. Unconsciously, Juvia held her breath. This was it. "You need to talk to Gray."

*Thump* They both felt the baby again, encouraging Erza.

"This isn't fair. ... You can't keep the baby from Gray. ... It will kill him."

"What?!" It felt like Erza had knocked the wind out of Juvia and he found herself gasping for air. "What is Erza talking about?"

"Regardless of what's going on between you two, you can't keep pushing him out. ... Juvia, he deserves the chance to be a dad."

The Water Wizard's blood ran cold, and she instantly knew that Erza was right. Juvia had been so wrapped up in her own insecurities that she hadn't been clear at all. Juvia couldn't be with Gray anymore. That was the decision that she had made months ago. And although she had originally hoped to keep the child a secret from Gray so he could move on with his life and be happy, once she'd come to terms with the fact that Gray would find out, she'd always known that she wouldn't deny him if he wanted to see the child.

That had been her thought process this entire time but in her panic two days ago, she hadn't been able to convey any of that. Removed from the raw emotion of her interaction with Gray, she was horrified to see how it must look to everyone else. Her moment of self-preservation weakness had probably turned her into Fairy Tail's newest villain without even realizing it. Even Juvia couldn't forgive a woman who denied a good man the chance to be a father.

What she had to do... What she had to figure out, was how she could juggle her feeling for Gray while trying to work things out regarding the child. Even now, she was worried that it was a slippery slope.

"But Juvia never meant…" Her words broke off, feeling the full weight of her crushing guilt. "Juvia _will_ let Gray-sama be a father." She whispered the words softly but Erza reaction was instantaneous.

Her friend's eyes lit up like a child at Christmas. "Then you _have _to tell him! He's going crazy right now. Please talk to him."

The Water Wizard could admit that if Erza demanded she met with Gray, Juvia would have given in but pleading Erza was just as powerful. Before she'd even made the conscious choice, the Water Wizard nodded her head. "Okay."

*Thump*

With that last kick before the baby changed positions, Juvia couldn't help but feel like the baby was giving her a little of the encouragement that she so desperately needed.

* * *

Before Erza left, Juvia agreed to meet Gray at Lucy's apartment. It felt like they were returning the scene of the crime, but it was the only neutral place they could think of where no one would interrupt or eavesdrop. Juvia made Erza promise that it would only be herself and Gray. Juvia knew she wouldn't be able to handle the censorious eyes of anyone else.

That night, Juvia reminded herself of key points in her relationship with Gray. All the times she'd followed him around. All the times she'd said she loved him. All the times she'd tried to push her feelings on him.

She remembered the few times he'd flat out rejected her and the times he'd been horrified by her antics. She could appreciate now that she was always the aggressive one. She was the one who'd always wanted more.

Every once in a while a memory would pop up where Gray encouraged her feelings or was happy to have her around but every time she'd come up with ten reasons why that moment didn't matter. She had to remind herself of the real score before she saw Gray, or she might allow herself to believe that it could work. She couldn't be taken in by him, for _his_ sake. Gray deserved so much more in life than having to settle for something he didn't truly want.

After that, her thoughts turned to the night of Lucy's party. They'd been drunk and happy and so incredibly carefree. And maybe they'd been caught up in the moment, but there were no confessions, no time when they'd set expectations. There weren't any strings.

Of course, Juvia wasn't stupid. She remembered everything about that night, and she remembered their promise to work it out when he got home but what did that even mean, really? Everything had changed so drastically that it didn't even matter anymore. The past had to stay in the past. What they had to face now was this new reality and none of it made her happy.

* * *

The next day, three days after he'd returned to Magnolia and his entire life had turned upside down, Gray entered Lucy's apartment way too early. Thankfully, everyone had already left, and he had time alone to collect his thoughts.

Gray wouldn't lie. He'd been floored when Erza told him that Juvia was willing to talk, but he was terrified. Erza wouldn't give him any details. She just told him to go, so he did.

Walking back into that apartment might have been the hardest thing he'd ever done. The flood of one-time happy memories hit him like a freight train. How had everything gone so terribly wrong? It felt like yesterday, yet it felt like another life completely. It was a happier, carefree life where they'd had all the time in the world and although he knew it was impossible, he wished he could go back and change so many things.

He'd been so lost in thought that he didn't notice when the front door opened until he heard her say his name for the first time.

"Gray-sama…"

His heart skipped a beat, and Gray spun around to see Juvia hesitate at the door, looking like she could run at any moment. He wanted to go to her and erase all the tension etched into her features so badly he could taste it, but he forced himself to stay put. Any move he made was sure to be the wrong one.

"Juvia…" He whispered her name, trying to his voice steady. "You really came…"


	8. Chapter 8

Consequences

By: juvia0613 (FayeValentine00)

Chapter 8

* * *

"You really came." The words tumbled out of Gray's mouth before he could stop them.

His eyes met Juvia's and Gray felt like he'd fallen into a trance. He couldn't stop staring. The Ice Devil Slayers first thought was how beautiful Juvia was. It wasn't like he'd forgotten but somehow it felt like he was seeing her for the first time all over again.

There she was, standing ten feet away, pregnant and lovely and looking so lost but there wasn't a single thing he could do about it. Her eyes looked almost blank as she stared right back at him. The wall she'd built between them, firmly in place and he felt lost.

Gray thought back to the day when he'd told Juvia he was grateful that she was by his side and right now he wished he'd said everything back then. Before the fight, Before the sacrifice, definitely before the sex. Everything would've been different if he had and Gray hated himself for it.

"I promised Erza I would." Her voice was so cold that it reminded him of the day they'd first met when she was in Phantom Lord. Even her blank expression brought it all back.

"Here. At least sit down." Gray didn't know a think about pregnant women, but he was sure she shouldn't stay standing in the doorway.

He watched her walk to the couch and sit down stiffly, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. He wanted to sit down next to her, but he didn't dare. Instead, he sat on the floor and waited. He kept praying she would say something, but she didn't. She just stared. When Gray finally couldn't take it any longer, he made the first move.

"Will you tell me what you're thinking?" He waited but nothing. The only proof that she'd even heard him was the flash of pain he saw when that wall cracked but almost immediately it was sealed back up and Gray began to lose his patience. He was the only one trying.

"Dammit, Juvia... At least tell me what happened over the last five months."

He watched closely as Juvia peeled back just enough of her walls to meet his eyes and nod slightly. "Okay." Painfully slowly, the Water Wizard told him about being sick for over a month but not wanting to take a test. She told him about how Levy had found her and convinced her to do it and when it came up positive, it wasn't even much of a surprise at that point.

"When did you suspect?" he asked hoarsely, his mouth bone dry.

"As soon as Juvia missed her period." She said it so flatly, so unfeeling, all while looking straight at him. It felt like he wasn't even talking to _his_ Juvia at all.

"And did you ever think about telling me?" Gray felt cold and numb. He never felt cold and he didn't like it at all.

"Yes."

"... Why didn't you?" Even he could hear the anguish in his own voice, only made worse by the mannequin still across from him.

"Because none of this should have happened."

Gray bit down on his cheek so hard he tasted blood. He had ten million things to say about that, but he had to hold it together. He had finally gotten her to talk, if he blew up now, it would be over.

"Okay..." He acquiesced in a clipped tone that betrayed his irritation. "Then what happened?"

"Juvia made Levy swear not to tell. Levy didn't like it, but she knew Juvia would leave if she did." Juvia sighed and adjusted her position before continuing and it was the first time Gray registered how pregnant Juvia actually was. She just looked mildly uncomfortable which brought a whole new wave of guilt to live with all his other conflicting emotions.

"When Juvia was starting to show, she knew she couldn't stay in Magnolia anymore. She thought about going to Meredy or leaving Fiore, but Levy asked Juvia not too. She wanted Juvia to stay close so they could keep an eye on each other. Levy even lied to Gajeel and he'll probably never forgive Juvia for that.

Every single word of her story was emotionless. It was like she was reading from a script of someone else's life. It was like she didn't give a shit about him or them or herself or the baby or how this was eating him up inside. Gray could feel his careful restraint slowly beginning to unravel.

"After that, Levy got sick and Juvia didn't see or hear from her for over two weeks until Gajeel showed up at Juvia's doorstep just over a month ago. He brought Juvia home and took her in. Then they convinced Juvia to tell everyone the truth."

Gray sighed deeply in frustration. He dropped his face to his hands and rubbed his eyes roughly trying to hold on to his last shred of self-control. Suddenly Gray felt as tired as he sounded. They'd only be talking a few minutes and Gray felt like they'd run a marathon. "…And what truth is that?"

"The truth is that we aren't together. The truth is that Juvia doesn't need or expect anything from Gray-sama." He could hear her voice start to tremble as her volume dropped to a whisper.

"And what am _I _supposed to do now, since you seem to have all the answers?!" He couldn't keep the venom out of his voice, but she didn't flinch.

"That's why Juvia came to see you. Juvia-" Her words faltered, and that was when her delicately constructed wall began to crumble. "Juvia wanted to tell Gray-sama that he can see the b-baby whenever he wants."

When she didn't go any further, Gray, feeling broken and miserable, whispered the hardest question of all. "And what about us?"

Their eyes locked and he watched as tears welled in Juvia's eyes and began to spill down her cheeks. Her lips began to tremble and somehow, he knew what was coming but he was going to make her say it. Juvia was going to have to look him dead in the eye and lie because no one could ever look that heartbroken and mean it.

Juvia hesitated so long that Gray thought she might reconsider, but just when he had hope, she steeled her nerves and spit the words at him like a curse. "There is no us, Gray-sama."

Gray snapped. He jumped up from the floor and crossed the room in three steps to stand directly in front of her. "You have to be kidding me, Juvia!" Gray paced back and forth like a caged animal. trying hard to pull himself together but he couldn't do it. "I love you!"

"No, you don't!" Juvia jumped to her feet too and every bit of her coolness melted, leaving her looking like she was about to explode. "You only _think_ you do because if this," she added, pointing to her stomach.

"What are you talking about?!"

"Gray-sama only thinks he loves Juvia because he should and because he's a nice and because it would be the _right_ thing to do... But Juvia doesn't want that kind of love. Juvia wants Gray-sama to love her for more than that." A sob tore from her throat before she began to cry

It took him a long time to process those words. It wasn't until that moment that he understood and, in a warped way, it all made sense. It wasn't right but Juvia was doing what she always did. She was jumping to wild conclusions, only this time those conclusions had led her to the worst possible outcome.

"You're wrong," he managed softly, willing himself to calm down.

"Don't." She took a step back from him, shaking her head.

Gray knew that she might not want to hear it, but she needed to. After everything she'd put him through, Juvia owed him that much.

"I've been in love with you for so long." He was pleading with her, but she kept shaking her head. "I went to on that quest and to become a man who deserved you. I've spent the entire time thinking about what it would be like when I got back home."

He took a step towards her and she took two backwards. "Please stop... Juvia doesn't want to hear this!"

"But you _need _to hear it!" He roared at her and she nearly jumped out of her skin, but he was heartbroken, and he couldn't hold back any longer. "I feel like you're trying to torture me! ... This isn't fair! You aren't even giving me the chance!"

"Juvia _can't _give Gray-sama a chance! Juvia ruined everything! All Juvia has ever wanted was the chance to be with Gray-sama and now she'd can't have it!"

"Why not?!"

They were both shouting now and crying but neither even seemed to notice.

"Because I'd never know if you truly loved me or if you were just staying for the baby!"

"BUT I _DO _KNOW!"

They were at a stalemate, as they glared at each other, neither willing to give. Both, breathing heavily as they fought to rein in their emotions. He could read her expression and although she looked broken, he watched as her walls began to repair themselves. "Juvia can't do this..."

"Juvia, please don't shut me out," he begged, but all the fury was gone. He couldn't stay angry now that she had finally given him the answers he'd needed.

"Gray-sama... Please love our child... and please be a good father." She asked slowly, still crying. "But Juvia can't... Juvia doesn't want Gray to love her like that."

"You're lying," but even those words came out flat.

"I'm so sorry." Juvia's murmured words covered so many mistakes that had been made. Then she was gone, fleeing the apartment and Gray himself.

Gray was left feeling like a mess. He had two major conflicting emotions warring in his head. First, he was heartbroken but secondly, he felt a massive wave of relief. The level of his pain was unmeasurable. He'd finally tried to pour his heart out to Juvia only to be completely shut down.

On the other hand, Gray obtained the single most important piece of information that he needed. Juvia was still in love with him and that was all mattered. If he knew she cared, he had time to wait for everything else to fall into place and, for Juvia, he was willing to wait however long it took.

* * *

Gajeel was standing in the kitchen with Levy, preparing dinner, when Juvia burst through the front door. She was flushed and sweating and gasping for air. She looked like she'd just run a mile. He watched Juvia come in, look around and beeline it right for him.

The Iron Dragon Slayer was shocked when she dropped her head onto his chest and began to sob.

"Juvia! What happened?!" Levy asked, hovering next to her friend supportively while Gajeel gave her a hug.

"Gray-sama told Juvia he loves her!" After that, the Water Wizard was inconsolable.

Gajeel couldn't help it. He looked over at his wife and rolled his eyes, saying the first thing that came to his mind. "... Shit!"


	9. Chapter 9

Consequences

By: juvia0613 (FayeValentine00)

Chapter 9

* * *

Gray decided to wait a few days before trying to talk to Juvia again. As much as it hurt, he knew she needed some space. The truth of the matter was that Juvia was pregnant and continuing to stress her out would only make things worse.

He was sitting in the guildhall with the other members of Team Natsu when he saw Gajeel and Levy arrive. He'd been wanting to talk to the Solid Script Wizard ever since speaking with Mira but she rarely made it to the guildhall these days and he wasn't ready to go back to that house yet. Now that she'd come in, he had to pull her aside.

Gray excused himself from the table and got to the Redfox's before they could sit down. He and Gajeel exchanged a quick hello before the Ice Make Wizard turned to his childhood friend.

Levy looked up at him with concern shining in her eyes and it made him feel guilty. She had twins that would be here in no time. She shouldn't be worried about them. That was why they needed to talk.

"How are you doing?" she asked gently, looking him over.

"I'm…" He'd almost said fine, but he knew Levy would see right through that and call him out on it. So, instead he just sighed with a shrug. "… I'm figuring things out.

He watched her consider his words for a minute and then half-smiled. "I understand."

"Look, Levy... Can we talk for a few minutes? ... And not here?" Gray added that last part while looking around at their nosey friends who were already trying to eavesdrop.

Gajeel took a step forward like he was about to say something but Levy held up her hand to stop him, flashing him her best smile. "It's fine. Go play with Natsu," she joked with a wink. "We'll be back in a few minutes."

She led the way back outside and down the road until she reached the bench she'd been seeking. When she sat down, the small woman grabbed Gray's arm and dragged him down onto the bench beside her. "I've been wanting to talk to you too," she confessed.

"Do you mind if I go first?" Gray asked because he already knew what Levy wanted to say and he didn't need to hear it. It's true that she kept critical information from him but she'd done it for Juvia and she'd done it to keep the mother of his child from disappearing from his life forever.

He waited until she nodded before reaching over and pulling her into a tight embrace. He felt Levy stiffen in surprise but then just ask quickly she melted and returned the hug just as tightly. "Thank you so much, Levy."

When he pulled back, Gray was surprised to see tears rolling down her cheeks and when he started to panic that he'd done something wrong, she just shook her head. "I'm fine. Pregnancy hormones make you a mess. Ignore all of this," she said gesturing to the tears that wouldn't stop falling.

Gray really wanted to go find her a tissue or something but he had to finish what needed to be said. "If you hadn't stopped Juvia, she'd probably be gone somewhere where I couldn't find her and I wouldn't know about anything. Thanks to you, now I have the chance to make things right... and... I'm just really grateful."

By the time he was done talking, Levy was fully crying. He knew she felt guilty about everything. He could still remember the sound of her sobs that first day back. But he could see now that she'd truly been trying to save his family, even if he wished he'd known all along. If he could fully remove himself from the situation, who knew what decision he would have made in the moment either.

"Okay... my turn..." she said thickly, still trying to control her tears. He wanted to stop her and tell her he already knew but this was clearly something she needed to get off her chest. "Gray... I'm so sorry. I swear to you... I was trying to do the right thing. I know I should have told you and Gajeel but... I just kept telling myself that if I could get Juvia to stay until you go home then maybe it would be okay. I didn't mean for any of this to happen!"

"Okay. Okay. I forgive you!" He said as soon as she was done. The Ice Devil Slayer wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder and smiled earnestly. "But I'm going to need you to stop crying or else your husband is going to kill me before either of our kids are born."

"I'd only kill you if you were mean to her." Gajeel's voice came from down the road and Gray wasn't surprised at all. Tensions had been really high lately and if the Iron Dragon Slayer had any doubt about Levy's emotional or physical safety, there was no way he'd leave her unprotected.

Gajeel walked out of the woods not far from them and actually smiled at Gray, maybe for the first time since he'd returned from the 100 Years Quest. It was a relief to have these relationships mended too. He hadn't been sure it would be quite so easy but at least this showed that he'd managed to do one thing right since returning.

Gajeel walked over and put a comforting hand on Levy's shoulder before continuing. "So, what are you going to do next?"

Gray sighed. Leave it to Juvia's best friend to not beat around the bush at all. "I think..." He paused a moment to collect his thoughts and then met the Dragon Slayer's eyes. "I think I'll just try to start over."

He talked a lot of things out with Gajeel and Levy after that and by the end, Gray had a solid plan. Maybe Juvia wasn't ready to believe that he loved her but he needed to make sure they were at least friends again... for now.

* * *

Nearly a week after she fled from Lucy's apartment, Juvia was in her bedroom sewing a Gray doll out of pure habit. She hadn't meant to do it. She was supposed to be blocking out that part of her life but she couldn't bring herself to stop. Instead, she was telling herself that the doll was for the baby and that would be her story if anyone found it. But for now, this could just be her private secret.

knock, knock*

"Juvia, it's me."

Her hands froze mid-stitch. It was Gray, Her mind started racing. She couldn't just ignore him this time, she knew that. If she didn't figure out how to talk to him, they'd never be able to make the parenting thing work. Just as she was going to attempt a reply, he continued.

"Look, you don't have to say anything, but... I just wanted to ask if we can just start over."

Her heart was pounding so hard that it was almost hard to hear him. Starting over seemed like such an impossible dream yet here he was, offering it on a silver platter. She didn't want to keep hurting people. Not herself. Not Gray. Not their friends. And most especially, not their child. Even Juvia had to admit to herself that she wasn't being fair or rational. She just had to figure out how to do it. If Gray was willing to try, she needed to be willing to try as well.

"I know it's gonna be weird but we have to figure out how to talk without fighting."

There was a long pause and she heard him take a deep breath like he was trying to build up his courage and her damn heart started to betray her. That all too familiar fluttering deep in her stomach began to build, but she squashed it. Starting over mean starting over. It meant friendship and co-parenting and that had to be the goal. Juvia's desire for the Ice Devil Slayer that had never truly been forgotten? ... That was something that had to stay concealed.

"So... I plan to stop by every day. And when you're ready to talk, I'll be ready for that too."

Before Juvia could work up her courage to reply, she heard him walk away. A few moment later, the front door closed and he was going, leaving Juvia with a lot of things to think about.


	10. Chapter 10

Consequences

By: juvia0613 (FayeValentine00)

Chapter 10

* * *

The following day Juvia once again spent her day in her bedroom. She'd cleaned everything top to bottom, refolded every article of clothing she owned, made her bed and alphabetized Levy's books. She kept telling herself that it was just time to get things tidied up but, in truth, she was waiting.

Gray had said he'd come by every day, but would he? That was a stupid question. If Gray said he would do it, Juvia knew that. The fact that she secretly prayed for his visit just proved what an awful person she'd become. Juvia wanted so much but wasn't able to give any of it back. Juvia didn't even know if she'd be able to talk to Gray today, but... she just wanted to hear his voice.

Late in the afternoon, the Water Wizard had fallen asleep on her bed and was sound asleep when there was a knock at the door.

*Knock, knock*

Juvia stretched as she fought to remember what she was supposed to be doing. It was just on the tip of her tongue when she heard him.

"Hey, Juvia…" Gray was speaking quieter today, but his voice sounded more confident. "Levy says you might be sleeping... So, if I wake you, I'm sorry. ... I won't stay long but I promised I'd come every day and I didn't want you to think I forgot."

The bluenette was still in a fog, but she did her best to get it together. Juvia didn't want to miss the visit today. She had to try. She'd been preparing herself all day.

"So, I'll stop by tomorrow."

No! Juvia wasn't going to let him go away for a third time without saying anything. She wasn't going to allow herself to remain the villain of her own life story. If she did, she'd never be worthy of being the mother of Gray's child.

Juvia rolled out of bed and tried to stand up but she managed to get caught up in the comforter and crashed loudly to the floor, taking a lamp and the nightstand with her. She managed to land on her butt and back, so she knew the baby was fine, but it hurt.

"Oww!" she whined to herself, trying to get herself untangled from the blankets.

Juvia didn't realize anyone had entered the room until she heard Gajeel's command. "Juvia, don't move!"

That made her freeze in place and a moment later, someone was quickly but carefully unwrapping her. It wasn't until she was pulled back up into a sitting position that she realized the person holding her was Gray and he looked panicked.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt? Do you need a doctor?"

"Juvia is fine! Juvia is fine!" She promised and it occurred to her that those were probably the first normal words she'd said to him since he'd gotten home. Her heart started to pound. Gray was so close, and she didn't have time to conceal all the feeling her body contained.

"Are you sure you aren't hurt? Or the baby?" He was smoothing her hair, looking her up and down before meeting her eyes.

"No," she managed with a partial smile. "We're fine. Thank you. The only thing hurt is Juvia's pride."

Gray's eyebrows shot up in shock for a moment before a smile spread across his face and Juvia didn't even pretend like she didn't know why. He was thrilled that she'd spoken to him. The ridiculous part of this was that she'd intended to speak to him today anyway, but like everything else in her life, nothing was going the way it was supposed to.

While she and Gray had a moment, Gajeel was right there picking up the broken glass and watching them like a hawk. Even distracted, it was totally obvious and if she wasn't so affected by still being somewhat supported in Gray's arms, she would have rolled her eyes at him.

Besides, moment or not, it changed nothing. They had to learn to be friends. Shoving him off now wasn't going to help. But she didn't really want to shove him off either. As long as Gray didn't know that, they'd be just fine.

"Can you stand up?" Gray asked when Gajeel was done cleaning up the floor.

"Yes."

The Ice Devil Slayer helped pull Juvia to her feet and for the first time she felt self-conscious about her added weight. She did her best to put as little weight on him as possible and hoped he wouldn't notice.

At some point Gajeel left the room without a word because before she knew it, Juvia found herself alone, face to face with Gray. And despite her best efforts, both she and the bedroom were in complete disarray. He must think she was an absolute mess. How on earth was she going to be able to prove she could be a mother when every time he saw her, she was falling apart one way or another?

Gray opened his mouth to say something but stopped and, for some unknown reason, that hurt. For someone who hadn't said a single civil word to Gray since he'd returned, even she was irritated with herself for wanting more. Just having those thoughts made Juvia thankful that Gray's magic wasn't mind reading.

* * *

Today Gray was really happy Juvia had almost no poker face. He thought his heart would stop when he'd heard the horrendous crash coming from her room. When he'd broken her doorknob to get in (which he'd definitely have to replace) and saw her lying on the ground, he instantly feared the worse. Gajeel was right behind him.

Because everything has happened so fast, the Water Wizard hadn't had time to build up the walls between them. When he'd gotten her unwrapped and she looked up at him with those big eyes, it was _his_ Juvia again. She'd looked into his eyes and actually answered his questions. She even almost smiled.

He also saw the look in her eyes. He didn't care how much she claimed she didn't need him. When she looked at him, he knew the old feelings were still in there somewhere, sitting just below the surface. Gray just needed to wait. If he asked, or pushed things too far, he'd only make it worse.

The fact that she'd spoken to him today was all he allowed himself to hope for. Winning Juvia back wasn't a sprint. It was a marathon. He needed to pace things out because even one-inch forward was better than nothing at all.

He just watched her watch him for a long time and he hadn't even realized he was still holding her hand until she blushed awkwardly and pulled her hand away. Before his eyes, he watched Juvia pull herself back together but those walls he'd expected her to rebuild never appeared. Instead, she just looked guarded. That was something he could work with.

"Thank you for helping Juvia," she said softly.

"Anytime." He tried to sound casual, but he wasn't sure how well it worked.

They stood in her room awkwardly. He knew he should go. He'd made progress and lingering would only diminish that, but it was hard, so hard. Especially when he could see more and more of the Juvia he loved beginning to slip through her facade.

"I should go," Gray finally forced himself to say with an awkward wave that made him feel stupid as soon as he did it. He turned and headed towards the door, trying not to get depressed all over again. He really didn't want to leave at all.

"Gray-sama?" When she called out to him, urgently, it made his heart skip a beat and when he turned to face her, she was blushing. "I-Is Gray-sama coming back tomorrow?"

"Yes," he answered neutrally.

"Then Juvia will see Gray-sama tomorrow." She was fidgeting nervously, but she'd managed to say it.

"See you tomorrow," he agreed evenly and then he practically fled from the room and the house before he burst. Gray waited until the house was out of sight before he stepped off the main room, crouched down and dropped his face to his knees to conceal his ear to ear grin. Elation was too mild a word for the overwhelming joy he felt.

It was working. The plan of starting over was working. It was the first time he could see how they could do this. If they could communicate, they could overcome anything. All he'd needed was this sliver of hope and the possibilities were endless.

* * *

Gray continued to visit Juvia at Gajeel and Levy's house for the next few weeks. They never talked about anything important. It was always neutral. The weather, their friends, any jobs on the board, what kinds of things they would have for dinner. They were always conscious of every word, careful not to say the wrong thing. The more they tried to open up to each other, the scarier it became.

The day she hit her sixth month of pregnancy, Juvia made a decision. She made a decision and an appointment, and she hoped it would be good for both of them. Slowly Juvia had figured out how to talk to Gray without falling into old habits that would only hurt them both. Now they could talk about little things and the Water Wizard knew it was time to break the ice on the elephant in the room. She just hoped the baby would cooperate before she lost her nerve.

Gray came by at 11am, the same time he'd come every day that week. Once again, they sat at the kitchen table drinking tea and talking about nothing.

*Thump*

Thank goodness. This just might work. Juvia was excited, but she was nervous, the butterflies in her stomach making her nauseous.

She and Gray had hardly touched since the day their baby was conceived. No matter how she looked at it, this was bound to be an intimate moment, but it was a moment the Ice Devil Slayer deserved.

*Thump, thump*

Without warning, Juvia stood up quickly and rounded the table. As an unspoken rule, the kitchen table always stayed firmly between them during their visits. Yet, here she was, changing that rule with no warning and Gray looked up at her questioningly.

"Gray-sama, give Juvia your hand, please."

With an expression of utter confusion, he held a slightly shaky hand out to her, and she took it firmly, not letting herself think too much. If she did, it would be far too emotional.

With practiced accuracy, Juvia took Gray's hand and pressed it to the left side of her bump and waited. The back-haired man remained confused at first but slowly realization set in a moment before he felt the baby kick for the first time.

Gray froze. Juvia watched the Ice Devil Slayer carefully, but he didn't move a muscle. They just waited.

*thump, thump, thump*

Their baby had been in kung fu mode for several days and it seemed like they were purposefully putting on a show for Dad now.

The change in Gray was so subtle that she would have missed it if she hadn't been watching closely. The color slowly drained from his face and his jaw fell open. His hand which originally was held in place by Juvia, adjusted slightly so he could feel the baby better. The Ice Devil Slayer stayed like that for nearly a minute, feeling his child move, before it all got to be too much, and he let go.

Gray didn't say a word. He simply dropped his head into his hands and cried. As much as Juvia fought to keep her emotions in check, it didn't work. Before she knew it, The Water Wizard was sitting next to Gray and crying with him. It was a bittersweet moment and they both knew it.

Listening to Gray's muffled crying broke her heart. Despite all the reasons she knew she shouldn't, Juvia reached out and put a comforting arm around his shoulder. That was all the motivation Gray needed. He reached out, pulled Juvia into his arms and hugged her tightly. He hugged her tightly and cried and every once in a while, whispered, "Thank you."

Juvia returned his embrace just as tightly. Maybe she shouldn't have and maybe she was giving him false hope, maybe not. All she knew was that they needed this. They needed to bond together over this baby, and she could see that now. That was why she'd planned today.

When Gray composed himself, Juvia let him go. She started to get up, intending to go back to her side of the table but he caught her arm. "Please stay here. … I promise not to do anything. ... Just... don't go."

She searched his eyes and all she saw was fear. Gray was looking at her like he was afraid that if she moved away at all, Juvia would never come back. That was why she stayed. Juvia couldn't deny Gray when he asked for something so simple with no strings.

"Okay," she agreed with a nod. "There is something else Juvia wanted to discuss with Gray-sama."

She felt him tense beside her and she knew she deserved it. She'd pulled back so many times, it only made sense that he'd be gun-shy but today was going to be different and she hoped he'd be happy.

"What do you want to talk about?" He asked carefully, still recovering from feeling their baby move.

"Juvia... Juvia made an appointment for today."

"An appointment?" Confusion was written all over his face. "What kind of appointment?"

"A gender scan."

Gray understood in an instant. He turned in his chair to face Juvia, looking like a blind man able to see for the first time. He was beaming and it made her heart go crazy. "Are you serious? Today?"

"In about an hour," Juvia confessed, unable to withhold her own smile. "Juvia was h-hoping Gray-sama would come."

She meant her words. Juvia'd had the chance to do the gender scan weeks ago, but she'd waited. She didn't know what she'd been waiting for, but she'd waited none-the-less and now she understood. It was so they could do it together.

It was Gray and Juvia's first act as co-parents.


	11. Chapter 11

Consequences

By: juvia0613 (FayeValentine00)

Chapter 11

* * *

It was surreal walking to that imagery clinic with Juvia. For the first time, they were able to walk down the street together and talk. After she let him feel the baby move and they'd shared that hug, Gray could feel a subtle shift in their relationship. It was more comfortable, less guarded than it had been. Of course, it was nothing like before, but there was a definite feeling of togetherness that gave him hope.

Their conversation had reverted to the generic, unimportant topics until Juvia turned to him and asked a question he hadn't expected. "Gray-sama, would you rather have a boy or a girl?"

The question stunned him for a minute. Without even realizing it, the Ice Devil Slayer had stopped walking and just stared at her. Although he'd always pictured his future life with a son, he'd never even thought about it once since finding out he was going to be a father. It just hadn't mattered. Gray realized he'd been so fixated on Juvia that the baby had just become "the baby" to him. Nameless and genderless. It was not that he didn't care. Everything was just still so unknown.

"I'm honestly not sure," he began carefully. "I guess I haven't thought about it too much."

"But, when Gray-sama pictures a family, what does he see?" As Juvia pressed him, he saw the intensity in her eyes. He didn't know why but this was important to her and, if she needed an answer, he felt obligated to give it to her.

"Well, if I'm being honest... I just want you and the baby to be safe and healthy. That's the most important thing."

He watched Juvia's cheeks flush, embarrassed and he had to fight not to react to that. She looked adorable and it killed him not to be able to tell her that. However, just beyond the embarrassment, he could see Juvia's impatience growing and he knew she was not going to let him off the hook until he gave her answer.

"Okay... If you are asking what I've always pictured, I'd have to say that I always see myself with a son." Gray had edited himself at the last minute. He'd almost told her the whole truth. He'd always pictured them with a son and later maybe even a daughter, together and happy. However, they still weren't anywhere near that level of intimacy so he held his tongue and gave her the simple reason.

A son must have been the answer Juvia was thinking of because she flashed him a smile and nodded her head. "I agree. Gray-sama would do really well with a son." After that she turned back around and continued their walk, leaving the black-haired man more than a little confused.

When they got to the imagery clinic, they were brought straight back. The room they entered contained a medical bed, several monitors and a bunch of handheld devises attached by corded to various computers. It all looked pretty intimidating but Juvia seemed relaxed so he assumed it was normal.

Juvia sat on the table while he waited off in the corner out of the way. The technician was a kind looking older woman who began the appointment by asking Juvia a series of questions about her health, the baby, any concerns, weight gain, etc. It was the first time he saw _his _Juvia back in full force. As she answered all the questions, he could see the Water Wizards stress melt away and Juvia's obvious excitement began to leak out.

If it was possible, he would have bottled that moment for those times that he began to lose hope, so he could remember that Juvia was still there. She just needed time.

When the questions were over, Juvia was instructed to lower her pants to her hips and raise her shirt to just under her breast, exposing the stretched skin over her belly. It was the first time she'd seen her scar in six months ago. He'd never forgotten it was there, but it brought back memories that hit him like a ton of bricks.

"Gray-sama, please come sit down." Juvia's words pulled him from his thoughts. He hadn't even realized he was still hovering far away until she called out to him. When he looked over, she was gesturing to the chair right beside her.

Although every nerve in his body felt tense, he nodded and took a seat. He was terrified. He was excited, but he was terrified. Knowing the baby's gender, being able to talk to Juvia about them properly… it was like a miracle. Yet there was a little voice in the back of his head telling him that nothing lasts forever. That same voice kept reminding him of all the people he'd lost over the years and it made him scared to add another human to his world that could be so easily taken away.

The reality and the fear of the unknown. The knowledge that he and Juvia still weren't in a good place and that their lives could change again with the snap of a finger. All of these thoughts crashed down on him all at once until he felt like he was drowning. It wasn't until he felt Juvia take his hand in hers that he could focus again.

When he came back to the present, his eyes found Juvia's and she looked concerned. She knew him too well and had a knack for knowing when he was troubled but this wasn't the time or place for any of that. He was determined to make this a positive experience. So, casting aside his own doubts and fears, Gray smiled at Juvia and was happy to see relief was over her.

The technician began the exam with the monitor pointed towards her. While she worked, she jotted down some notes, pushed buttons on the machines and generally went about her routine. It took some time but Gray didn't realize that Juvia was getting nervous until her grasp tightened on his hand. He'd thought she would have let him go as soon as he'd recovered earlier but she didn't. Now the Water Wizard was the one who needed reassurance and the Ice Devil Slayer was more than happy to be that person.

After what felt like an eternity, the technician finally turned to them with a smile. The knot that Gray didn't realize had formed in his stomach began to relax. "I have good news. Everything is perfect. The baby is measuring just where we expected and there doesn't seem to be any cause for concern."

Gray let out a sigh of relief. He couldn't help it. He'd only just felt the baby move for the first time a couple of hours ago. He only learned of their existence a month ago yet he already knew that, like Juvia, this child was an irreplaceable force in his life. Knowing the baby was healthy was all he needed.

"Now for the fun part!" The technician continued excitedly. "Do you want to know your baby's gender?"

"Yes." "Yes!" Gray and Juvia answered at the same time, embarrassing themselves and making the technician laugh.

"Well, at least you're on the same page. ... Okay, then... In a few short months, you will be the parents of an adorable baby boy!" Before her words could sink in, the technician turned the screen and he was looking at their child for the first time.

Gray had seen one or two scan pictures in his life but, to be honest, it always just looked like shapes and blobs. He couldn't understand the excitement. Now he knew.

The image was of the top half of the baby. You could see the head, the nose, the outline of a face, and two tiny hands moving around. It was miraculous. This was their child. Gray tore his eyes away from the screen long enough to look at Juvia, only to find her watching him. There were tears streaming down her face, but she was smiling at him.

"Congratulations, Gray-sama. You'll get to have your son." That broke him. The Water Wizard blurred in his vision as his eyes filled with tears.

"Thank you, Juvia." Then he leaned down and kissed her forehead. He hadn't planned to do it. It just felt natural and it was the only way he could convey this deep sense of gratitude yet, as soon as he did it, he regretted it. He stiffened and sat back up quickly, murmuring an apology. He was she Juvia would shut down or pull back but she didn't.

Juvia seemed so wrapped up in the emotions of the moment that she let it slid. Her only reaction was to squeeze his hand a little tighter and turn back to the screen to watch their son suck his thumb. The technician let them watch the baby for a while longer in silence before printing out some pictures and sending them on their way.

Gray and Juvia made their way back to the street and headed for home. Having held Juvia's hand through the entire exam, that hand now felt empty and its loss was palpable. Just when they were going to make the turn towards Gajeel and Levy's home, Gray took a chance and asked Juvia for a favor of his own. "Juvia, wait."

The blue-haired woman stopped, but he saw her tense. As the emotional high of the exam began to wear off, her guarded heart was returning. "Yes?"

"Will you go somewhere with me now?"

He saw the color drain from her face and he knew; she knew what he was going to ask. He understood why she was nervous but these were their friends and family. They deserved to celebrate this moment with them and Juvia deserved the opportunity to end her self-exile. She hadn't stepped foot in Fairy Tail once since he'd come home and she hadn't even seen Natsu, Lucy and Wendy either. She didn't know it but they were really worried about her... even Natsu.

"Please come to Fairy Tail with me. We can tell everyone the news together."

He watched her consider his offer and he could tell the scared part of her wanted to say no, yet there was something else there too. Longing. He knew Juvia missed her friends. There was no way she didn't. The most important things in her life had always been Fairy Tail, their friends and himself. He had to help her get her friends back into her life just as much as he needed to get her back into his life.

"Everyone's waiting for you," he added softly.

"Really?" He could tell that she wanted to believe him, needed it to be true. Her eyes were huge and pleading.

"I promise."

"... Okay."

* * *

Once she'd made the decision and declared it out loud, Juvia relaxed a bit. Somehow Gray gave her the confidence to say yes. They walked together towards the guild and Gray, being the nice guy he was, kept up the stream of meaningless stories to keep her from overthinking and running away. It occurred to Juvia that this was a new side of Gray she was seeing. She'd always been in love with him, always the aggressor, so he'd never had to try to keep her attention. It was really endearing.

They made it all the way back to the guild without running into anyone they knew but when they reached the door; her heart was pounding. "Gray-sama, Juvia can't do this. Juvia can talk to everyone else but Natsu, Lucy and Wendy... Juvia hasn't seen them and... and she knows you say that aren't angry but..."

Her hands were trembling no matter how hard she tried to stop it. She knew Gray said that they missed her and she believed they'd be happy to hear their news but Juvia didn't think her heart could take their looks of censure. She'd hurt Gray, a friend to some, sibling to others. They had every right to hate her and she was afraid.

She was on the verge of a meltdown when Gray put a hand on her shoulder. "Juvia, calm down. It will be okay." She watched him stop to consider for a moment and then continued. "But, how about this? … What if I go inside and get Natsu and the others? That way you can see them without everyone watching."

"And what should Juvia do if things go wrong?" She was practically whining but she couldn't stop herself.

Gray took her hand and squeezed it once, flashing Juvia a reassuring smile that warmed her heart, "If things go wrong, I'll protect you and take you home, no questions asked. … What do you think?"

Juvia considered for a moment. Her desire to reunite with her friends verses her fear of rejection. "And Gray-sama promises they don't hate Juvia?"

"I promise."

"Okay." Gray got Juvia situated on the same bench he'd used to talk to Levy and went in to collect his friends.

A few minutes later, Team Natsu headed in her direction looking confused until they saw her. Juvia watched in shock as the surprise registered on their faces and then the smiles before all the female members were headed towards her at a dead run.


	12. Chapter 12

Consequences

By: juvia0613 (FayeValentine00)

Chapter 12

* * *

Natsu sat with Lucy, Happy, Erza, Wendy and Carla in the guildhall. They hadn't gone on a job as a team since taking a break from the 100 Years Quest and, at this point, none of them knew if they'd be getting back to the quest any time soon.

If the Fire Dragon Slayer was being honest, he'd been irritated when Wendy convinced everyone to come home but the minute he'd seen Gray's face that first time, his feelings changed completely. Natsu knew he wasn't always the quickest person to catch on but even he knew how bad the situation was. He wouldn't pretend to know what Juvia was thinking, he rarely did, but this took the cake. If she couldn't see how much she was hurting Gray, she was blind.

Then he had Lucy to deal with who'd been beside herself for a month. She'd been worried about Juvia, worried about Gray, worried about their relationship. She'd wavered between visiting Juvia or not. She didn't want to stress out the Water Wizard any more than she already was so, ultimately; she hadn't gone.

Lucy even talked about them in her sleep, but no one was supposed to know about that. The only good thing that had come out of the Gray and Juvia situation was that Natsu and Lucy had finally stopped beating around the bush with their own relationship. They watched firsthand just how much pain not being honest had caused and it'd been a confession catalyst.

Natsu had been staying at Lucy's place for almost two weeks now but they'd decided to keep it under wraps until Gray and Juvia worked their problems out. And everyone was confident it would work out. It just took time.

When the door to the hall opened, the breeze blew in and he knew it was Gray. They'd all just been hanging out to see how today's meeting with Juvia had gone but he'd been out for hours and they'd all started to wonder. As Gray approached the table, he caught another strong scent. It was Juvia, making Natsu instantly curious. The desire to immediately ask about it was only overridden by the desire to not upset the girls if he was wrong.

Instead Natsu pasted his usual big smile on his face and turned to his best friend. "Hey, Gray! How's it going?"

"Good, actually." The Ice Devil Slayer said, turning every eye from Team Natsu in his direction.

The Fire Dragon Slayer only had to glance at Gray once to see that his friend meant those words. Today Gray looked the closest to happy as he had since coming home. There was something in his expression that alerted Natsu that something good must have happened. Take that plus the strong scent of Juvia and Natsu felt relieved. For once, something finally must have gone right.

"Hey... Can you guys come with me? There's something I want to show you." Gray had asked conversationally but Natsu could tell he was nervous about something. The Dragon Slayer could also tell he was avoiding giving any more details than absolutely necessary which gave Natsu a pretty good idea what was going on. If he was right, he had to help Gray because the girls really needed this... and he'd be glad to see Juvia too. (Even if a piece of him wanted to shake her silly.)

"Right now?" Lucy asked, glancing down at the food she hadn't had the chance to eat yet.

"Something to show us?" Erza added, both women looking confused.

"Yes. It's not far. I promise." Gray shifted uncomfortable and Natsu could only assume he was wavering on whether he should tell them what was going on or not, so the Dragon Slayer decided to come to his rescue.

Trying to play it off, Natsu reached out, grabbed Lucy's hand and dragged her off the bench.

"Natsu?!" Lucy nearly fell over, trying to get out of her seat before he pulled her towards the door.

"Come on! Gray says it isn't far and we aren't doing anything else so what do we have to lose?" he countered with a laugh.

A minute later, Wendy, Erza and the Exceeds followed and they were all headed after Gray. Natsu could have reached their destination by scent. He knew he'd been right the minute they got outside. It only took a few seconds for Wendy to catch on too because he heard her small intake of breath before she went silent, but her eyes were dancing with excitement.

When they finally got within view of the bench where Juvia sat, the girls reacted immediately. Natsu paid special attention to Lucy when she nearly shrieked and ran to Juvia at top speed. The relief on her face made him feel better too. If this gave her peace of mind, he was happy too. He watched all the girls hug Juvia and gush over her belly while the Water Wizard cried and apologized repeatedly. Before long there were four completely distracted women crying on that bench and trying to catch up on six months of stories.

Natsu used that as his opportunity to talk to Gray. "What happened?" he asked softly, watching the women but glancing at Gray from time to time to watch his reactions.

"She let me feel the baby move." Gray said it softly, but that got Natsu's full attention.

"Seriously?!" Even Natsu was excited for Gray. That was huge progress.

"Yeah…" Then Gray looked over at him and flashed Natsu another smile unmatched to any he'd probably ever seen. It took Natsu aback because there were literal tears of joy in his friends' eyes.

"What else happened?" Natsu asked, the next part carefully. "…Did you guys work things out?"

"No. Not yet." The fact that Gray was able to say those words to him while still smiling was really confusing. He'd been a ball of depression for weeks, they hadn't worked things out, yet Juvia was here and Gray was smiling. It didn't make any sense.

"Then what?!"

"Juvia invited me to a gender scan. We found out the sex of the baby."

Out of the corner of his eye, Natsu saw Wendy's eyes grow large as dragon eggs and turn to look at the Ice Devil Slayer. Despite the girls still gushing together, she'd heard and looked just as curious as she felt.

"So….?"

"So... I'll let Juvia tell you," Gray said, flashing an irritatingly smug grin in his direction but Natsu couldn't even be mad. It was the most "Gray" thing he'd done in forever, so he played along and threw a punch.

Gray blocked it easily and the two threw down like they used to so often. Only this time they were both all smiles.

* * *

It felt really good to cut loose. Gray only stopped "fighting" with Natsu when Erza got involved. They were having their fun a safe distance from Juvia but when a fire blast went even vaguely in their general direction, Erza hit them both over the head before dragging them back to where the girls were talking.

Things weren't all better yet and he wouldn't even say they were "good" but so much had changed today that Gray couldn't keep the smile off his face now that he had all his favorite people back together in one place. Even Juvia was smiling earnestly now that the worst of her fears had subsided.

The only two people who hadn't spoken yet were Natsu and Juvia. Truthfully, the Ice Devil Slayer wasn't completely sure why, either. It wasn't like Natsu to hold a grudge and, even if he did, it seemed far less likely that he'd do so on his account, but the Dragon Slayer still seemed a little standoffish. Gray was just thinking about it when out of nowhere, Natsu stepped up to Juvia and looked down on her with an unreadable expression.

Gray felt himself bristle. His protectiveness triggered and he was about to say something when Lucy caught his arm. "What are you—?

"Just give Natsu a minute. It should be fine," the Celestial Spirit Wizard promised, flashing him a smile. "And if it's not, I'll kill him first."

Gray didn't like it, but he trusted Lucy and he knew Natsu better than that. He deserved to be trusted too. Reluctantly, Gray nodded. "Deal."

"Natsu-san…" Juvia breathed his name with huge eyes that Gray feared would fill with tears at any moment but just before the tension became too much, the Dragon Slayer grinned at her.

"We missed you, Juvia. Make sure to visit more now, okay?"

The pregnant woman's big eyes swam with tears as she returned his big smile and nodded. "Okay... Juvia missed everyone too," she admitted a second before Lucy hugged her tightly again for what must have been the tenth time.

They all chatted for a few more minutes before Natsu couldn't take it anymore and turned to Gray and Juvia looking exasperated. "Didn't you come here to tell us something?! Just spill it already!"

"What?!" Juvia was obviously surprised Natsu knew and turned to look at the Devil Slayer in confusion.

"Sorry. I may have told him where we went today," he admitted sheepishly even though deep down he didn't have a single regret.

"Oh!" He watched the blush creep across Juvia's cheeks. She had the kind of cute expression that made him want to wrap his arms around her and never let go.

Erza and Lucy looked as confused as Wendy and Natsu looked excited, but Gray didn't want to tell this piece of news. He wanted to let Juvia tell them. It would be a great way to continue mending the bridges to their relationships.

"Wait! Where did you go?" Lucy asked, glancing back and forth between the parents to be, probably getting the wrong idea.

Gray was going to step in, but he was pleasantly surprised when Juvia did it first. That meant she was getting more confident which was exactly what'd he'd been hoping for. He didn't realize until Juvia began talking that she was just as excited to give the news as their friends were to hear it.

"Today Gray-sama and Juvia went to a gender scan." It amused him that she let the words hang there for a minute, letting their friends get appropriately excited before she continued.

"And?!" Erza finally asked, ready to burst.

"And, the baby is a boy!"

If Gray was being honest, he was a little disappointed that Juvia didn't say, "We're having a boy." But he understood. In the grand scheme of things, there still was no "we." It didn't matter if there was friendship or children or even love. The "we" he hoped for was still somewhere off in the distance. However, he didn't have time to sulk. In a millisecond, he and Juvia were pounced and pulled into a strange human and cat group hug complete with tears, laughter and shouts of congratulations. It was a fantastic moment.

When the hug broke up, everyone was still laughing and celebrating when Gray noticed the devious grin spread across Natsu's face. The Fire Dragon Slayer was never up to anything good when he got like that. Gray was just about to ask what he was thinking when, without warning, the sakura-haired man scooped up Juvia like a princess, causing her to shriek in alarm and throw her arms around his neck.

"Time to go tell everyone else!" Natsu declared with a laugh and then took off towards the guild at a careful run, while carrying the pregnant woman in his arms.

"Natsu! What are you doing?!" Lucy shouted, chasing after him.

"Natsu! Put Juvia down!" Juvia shouted but she didn't seem scared of anything other than being forced into the guildhall before she was ready.

"No way! Everyone is going to want to celebrate this too!"

Gray could see the shock register on Juvia's face, and he knew she didn't care what everyone else wanted. She desperately needed to do things at her own pace right now. The Ice Devil Slayer had finally realized that. Natsu hadn't.

He wasn't sure what Juvia was thinking but when Natsu wouldn't put her down, she looked over her captor's shoulder and shouted, "Gray-sama! Help me!"

That was all he needed to hear. Gray took off after Natsu at top speed. If Juvia needed saving, he was going to be the one to do it. That was _his _job.

Natsu definitely let Gray catch up. It was obvious. Natsu also handed Juvia over way too easily when they were about 5 feet from the front door. It wasn't until Juvia was safely in his arms that the two realized that they were being played with. Natsu'd had no intention of forcing Juvia to do anything, He'd just wanted to see what their reactions would be.

Gray let Juvia down and they both blushed awkwardly, but she didn't leave his side and Gray could tell all their friends noticed it too. It was everything his teammates had been hoping for since they'd come home, and he could feel their relief.

* * *

A few minutes later, Gray, Juvia and the others made their way into the guild hall where Natsu immediately declared that Gray and Juvia had an announcement. The Ice Devil Slayer was actually impressed by how well their friends took seeing them together for the first time. No one even mentioned it although surprise and curiosity was written across all their faces.

When the news came out that the baby was a boy, everyone was overjoyed. It wouldn't have mattered what gender their baby was. People were just happy to see Gray and Juvia walk through the doors of the guildhall together. Just seeing that had been enough to have some of the girls teary eyed right off the bat.

After the initial uproar, Juvia was dragged over to the bar for baby talk while Gildarts pulled Gray aside.

"How are you doing?" the large red-haired man asked, glancing over at Juvia who was smiling from ear to ear. Being surrounded by friends brought back her normal personality.

"A lot better than I was," he admitted. "It's not going to be tomorrow, but... I think it will all be okay... Someday. ... I'll wait as long as it takes."

"Good." Gildarts looked down on him with pride, clearly happy to see their improvement.

"Hey, Gildarts," Gray said suddenly, beginning the conversation that was long overdue. The Ice Devil Slayer pulled his eyes from Juvia to look up at his friend. "Thank you for everything."

"I only did what I wish someone would have done for me."

Gray noticed the man's eyes flit over to Cana who was talking animatedly to Juvia. Whatever she'd said had made the mother-to-be blush bright red and everyone laughed.

"But you did it for me…. I'll never be able to thank you for that." And Gray meant every word.

"You can thank me by being a good dad, okay?"

"Okay." They shook on it before Gildarts gave him a big hug that would've been embarrassing if it hadn't been so heartfelt.

Gray and Juvia stayed at the guild celebrating until late and Juvia was practically falling asleep on her feet. As promised, Gray walked her home, taking her straight to the front door. They stood there awkwardly and then both spoke at the same time.

"Thank you for today," Gray started.

"Thank you for everything," Juvia blurted out.

After another moment, Gray reached behind her and opened the door, letting her step inside.

"See you tomorrow?" he asked hopefully and was happy to see Juvia smile at him, nodding.

"See you tomorrow."

With those words, Gray headed back to the dorms feeling better than he ever thought possible. There were a lot of things he wanted to do and needed to do but, for now, he would just let himself be happy.


	13. Chapter 13

Consequences

By: juvia0613 (FayeValentine00)

Chapter 13

* * *

Gray came to visit Juvia the next day and the next day and the next. This went on for weeks. Most of the time they continued to talk about random unimportant topics but every once in a while, they'd delve a little deeper. They'd reminisce. They talk about things they'd like to do once the baby was born. They'd talk about the best ways to juggle working as a wizard and still making time to be a parent. Their visits had become comfortable.

Before long, Juvia and Gray had made it a habit to visit the guild together once a week. It was a safe place to go out together in public without letting thing's progress too far which, the Water Wizard knew deep down that they both wanted. Gray didn't even bother hiding his feelings for her anymore and, of course, she was in love with him but, for some reason, she just couldn't take that step.

Juvia still had the fear that Gray's feelings were misplaced. She believed his feelings for her, but she'd convinced herself those feelings began when he heard about the baby. Even though everyone told her differently and even though a nagging voice in the back of her head told her she was wrong, Juvia was just too scared to move forward.

She didn't want to let herself hope and she didn't want to try because she didn't want to lose the tenuous relationship they'd built. But, God, she loved him. He treated her like a treasure. He'd brought gifts for the baby nearly every day. He'd also insisted on buying nursery items, maternity clothes and any other random little things she'd needed. He didn't have to, and the Water Wizard had plenty of money, but it was important to him, so she'd given in.

When Juvia was in her seventh month of pregnancy, Levy was in her ninth with the twins who were expected any day and, out of nowhere, the bluenette began to panic. She knew she couldn't impose on Gajeel or Levy any longer. They'd taken her in for months, refused her money, been her emotional support and acted as the best family a girl could hope for but now, she knew it was time. She needed to figure things out before her son was born and the house got way too crowded.

At first Juvia had planned to keep her house-hunting a secret until she found a new place. Then she'd remembered how terrible everything had gone the last time she'd tried to keep a secret, so she decided to talk it out with Gray and ask for his help. When he came by for their usual visit, Juvia asked if they could take a walk and, no surprise, he agreed. At this point, Juvia thought Gray would probably walk over broken glass if she asked him too, although she never would.

They walked along the river for a while, before Juvia sat down on a bench to rest her feet and looked up into Gray's smiling face. "Gray-sama... can Juvia ask for your help with something?"

She noticed surprise register on his face, but he recovered quickly and sat down beside her. "You don't even have to ask. What do you need?"

"Well… Juvia needs to move out of Gajeel's house. She doesn't need to be in the way when the twins are born. Juvia has already waited too long." She confessed that last part with a half-hearted smile and Juvia was confused when she saw Gray bristle, clearly irritated.

"Did they say something to you?" The Water Wizard could see Gray had leapt into full protective mode so Juvia quickly worked to deescalate the situation.

"No!… It's just... Juvia doesn't want to intrude on their family time. This is Juvia's decision." She watched the Ice Devil Slayer take a deep breath and let it out slowly. He was clearly willing himself to calm down after getting the wrong idea. "So, will you help Juvia?"

One Gray got himself under control, she watched a new expression form. His eyes lit up with a strange kind of excitement as a smile spread across his face. "Actually, I might have a better idea. Come with me. I'll show you."

Their eyes met and honestly Juvia had no idea what his idea might be, but he looked so hopeful that she found herself caught up in the moment, returning his smile. "Sure."

Gray gave her a hand and helped her to her feet. His hand lingered on hers and Juvia began to wonder if he was going to try to hold it but before it got too uncomfortable, he let go. Gray led Juvia back through the residential part of Magnolia where Gajeel and Levy lived and down two more streets before coming to a stop in front of a large house with a decent-sized yard.

The Ice Devil Slayer looked up at the pretty home with a pride she didn't understand. It wasn't until he walked up to the front door and held it open for her that Juvia began to figure it out. Gray must have bought this house and it as a big house. Her nerves made her nauseous as she stepped across the entryway for the first time. She didn't know what to make of this and she didn't know what Gray was offering or suggesting. Fear of the unknown had her nearly ready to flee.

"Gray-sama, what is this place?" she whispered, trying her hardest to control her pounding heart. Telling herself not to think too much. Trying to think of an excuse for how to turn down whatever he would suggest. If Gray thought her need to relocate could be a catalyst for their relationship, she needed to think of a way to refuse him without hurting the black-haired man all over again.

"This is my house. It occurred to me that once the baby is born, I can't really bring him to the dorms without getting special permission and it's pretty far from Levy and Gajeel's place if anything happened or you needed help so I decided it was time to grow up and move out."

Juvia listened to the whole explanation and she could appreciate his reasoning, but the next words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop them. "But... why did you get such a big place?" The house was probably twice as large as the place they'd lived in during their previous co-habitation which felt like a lifetime ago.

"Come with me and I'll show you."

Before Juvia could come up with a proper excuse to flee, Gray led the Water Wizard and her pounding heart on a tour of the home. The kitchen was open, large and airy. The living room was big, and Gray had just enough furniture in it to make the room comfortable without looking crowded. The bathroom was large, had two sinks and plenty of room to store things. He pointed out the door to his own bedroom but left it closed, presumable because Juvia knew she would have flipped out if they'd crossed that bridge. Just being in his home was already a larger domestic step than she'd intended.

The next bedroom door he brought her to, he did open and Juvia's jaw dropped. He led the Water Wizard into a fully stocked, fully furnished, fully decorated nursery. It was beautiful. The furniture was a dark wood. Most of the stuff in the room was blue and white, perfect for a baby boy and there were even adorable pictures on the wall that Juvia was fairly certain had been drawn by Reedus.

"I have to be honest… Erza, Lucy, Wendy, Ever, Cana, Mira and Bisca all worked on this room." He ticked the names off on his fingers, obviously attempting to give credit where credit is due. "They knew a lot more about this stuff than me, but I think it came out pretty good."

Juvia knew he was watching her reactions and she'd been tense since the moment she stepped into the building, but this nursery had completely disarmed her. It was absolutely beautiful. "I love it…" she breathed, unable to take her eyes of the little details like one of Juvia's handmade Gray dolls sitting in the crib.

That should have been the first hint that more was going on but before she could ask, he took her by the hand and pulled her to the last door at the end of the hallway, furthest from his room. "Now, if you hate this, I'll get it all put back by tonight so don't freak out."

Before she could even process his cryptic statement, the door pushed open and Juvia walked into what was clearly the master bedroom. It was huge, but that wasn't what floored her. She walked into her own bedroom. Everything she owned that had still been sitting at Fairy Hills was there and organized almost exactly the way it had been at the dorms.

Her heart, which had stopped when she saw everything, kicked back up and it made her light-headed. Thankfully Gray noticed because he caught her arm and got her seated on the bed before he began to talk.

"Please hear me out before you say no," he pleaded, looking right into her eyes. She could tell he was nervous, and she could see his hands trembling but there was something in his demeanor that allowed her to calm down. He didn't look like a man who was about to propose or anything crazy like that. He looked like a man was about to beg for his life so Juvia found herself nodding in agreement.

"I know things have been completely backwards for us since everything started but there are a few facts that we have to face. Our son will be here before we know it." That was the first time she'd heard him refer to the baby as _our son_ and, despite herself, tears welled in her eyes but Juvia wiped them and allowed Gray to continue. "It's going to be really hard to juggle this parenting thing if we are living in two different places and having to have two sets of everything and juggling schedules and everything else. Also, we lived together before. We know it can work."

Juvia opened her mouth to speak but Gray held up his hand with a smile. "I'm almost done. Just let me finish. ... Juvia, I'm not asking you for anything else. All I want is for you and our son to live here. Please give me the chance to be a real full-time dad. I want to be here when you guys need me and, after today, I'll never stop foot in this room again if that's what you want. I just... I need you guys to be nearby. Even if it's selfish... I can't help it."

Juvia openly had tears rolling down her cheeks. Only a year ago, she would have cut off a limb for the chance to live with Gray again. Now things were so different, but she knew he was right. This made the most sense. Living in the same house. Not having to plan when to meet or who had the baby on what days. This would allow them to be equal participants in the child's life. It would be best for him.

The problem was Juvia herself. She was still scared but of what? Not of Gray and not of a future of co-parenting with the one man in Fairy Tail probably most suited to be an amazing father. She wasn't worried about what people would say or what her friends would think. Juvia Lockser was afraid of herself. She was afraid of her own weak resolve.

Juvia who'd remained guarded since Gray came back into her life had watched as slowly, day by day, the Ice Devil Slayer had chipped away at her walls. She felt like a completely different person than she had been just a few short months ago and she was terrified of where she'd be in a few months in the future. The Water Wizard knew it was cowardly, but she couldn't help it.

On the other hand, she had Gray Fullbuster looking over at her like his entire life hinged on this one decision and maybe it did. She knew... He'd made it crystal clear, that she and their baby were all that mattered. He'd done all of this for them yet Juvia knew he'd give it up in a flash if she was seriously against it, but she wasn't. She couldn't do that to Gray. She _wouldn't_ do that to Gray.

Juvia could tell by the look in his eyes that he wasn't asking her for love (even though they both knew he had it) and he wasn't asking for a relationship (because she wasn't there yet). He just wanted a family unit and Juvia knew in an instant that she wanted it too, but to have that, she needed to give.

"Juvia, please move in with me."

Their eyes met again and Juvia could see so much more in his eyes than that simple request. In turn, when Juvia answered, there was so much more meaning behind her simple words conveyed.

"Okay. Juvia will live here with Gray-sama."

Juvia watched relief flood over Gray and she thought he might be the one to pass out this time. She hadn't realized how tense he was until the Ice Devil Slayer let it all go, and he sagged. Reaching out she put her hand over his and squeezed. "Gray-sama, thank you for always taking good care of Juvia, even if she doesn't deserve it."

She felt the tears in her eyes and didn't even tense when Gray pulled the bluenette into a hug. "You _do_ deserve it... Besides, I've let you down way too many times before. This time, I'm determined to do it right."

Juvia knew what Gray meant, but she made the conscious decision to push it from her mind. She could deal with these feeling on another day or in another life. Today she could focus on the fact that she and Gray were going to be able to raise their child together. That was one of Juvia's unspoken dreams come true.


	14. Chapter 14

Consequences

By: juvia0613 (FayeValentine00)

Chapter 14

* * *

A few days later, Juvia officially moved in with Gray but before she took the last bag out of her room, Levy distracted the Ice Devil Slayer so Gajeel could talk to the Water Wizard privately one more time.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked, looking down at the pregnant woman, unable to hide his concern.

Gray was a good guy and Gajeel knew it. Also, the two idiots were madly in love but couldn't get their shit together. He knew Juvia was still a hot mess when it came to her feelings for the man and he didn't want her going into a situation that would stress her out. That wouldn't be good for her or the baby.

Juvia looked up at him with a smile but he'd known her long enough to see through her bullshit. She was excited, but she was nervous. She wanted to do this, but she was so afraid of messing things up that she was on the verge of giving up. However, Juvia was hanging in there and he was proud of her for that.

"Yes. Juvia will be fine. It will be much better for Gajeel and Levy to have time with their babies without Juvia getting in the way." She said it casually, but it still pissed Gajeel off.

When the blue-haired woman moved to walk by him, he caught her arm, startling her. Juvia looked up and met his eyes with surprise. "You don't have to do this, you know? ... You're my best friend and Levy loves you. You can stay here as long as you want. Don't rush into something you're not ready for."

Juvia just watched Gajeel as he spoke. He wasn't good at all this touchy feely shit but he needed her to know that they weren't running her out. He and Levy would be there for Juvia any time she needed it... even if that something was hiding Gray's dead body when she'd had enough. Just that thought made him chuckle to himself.

After a moment, Juvia flashed the Iron Dragon Slayer a big smile and hugged him tightly despite her large belly. "Juvia is thankful for Gajeel. He saved Juvia's life and brought her home. Juvia can never thank him enough."

Gajeel hugged the Water Wizard back tightly. He was gonna miss having her around, even if lately she's been spending most of her time with Gray any way. "If anything happens, don't do anything stupid. Just come here, okay? This is always your home."

"Thanks, Gajeel. That means a lot."

They broke off the hug and he picked up Juvia's last bag to hang off to Gray, adding, "Make sure you come over and visit Levy a lot, so she doesn't get lonely."

"I promise."

Letting Juvia leave with Gray was probably only a tiny bit easier than it would be to let him own daughter move out. If one of these twins was a daughter, Gajeel wasn't ever letting her leave. It sucked and he was depressed about it the rest of the night.

* * *

The twins were born only a week after Juvia left and the Water Wizard spent a lot of time over with Levy, helping her get used to juggling two infants. It was also good practice for Juvia who was able to learn the basics of diaper changing, feeding, burping, etc. A few times a week, when Gray wasn't out on a job, he would come too. He was a natural with the babies, making both women more than a little jealous.

When Juvia was about eight and a half months pregnant, Gray couldn't sleep. He was planning on leaving with Natsu for a few days and was feeling guilty about it despite the fact that Wendy would be coming to stay with Juvia, just in case.

Gray crawled out of bed and was heading to the living room when he heard a noise coming from Juvia's room. He almost let it go but then he heard it again. Was she crying? Was she hurt? As promised that first day, Gray hadn't knocked on her door or stepped foot in her room until now, but this was something he couldn't ignore.

*knock, knock, knock*

"Juvia, are you okay?"

He waited for a response but at first there was nothing. Then he heard her groan and then sniffle. Clearly something was wrong.

"Juvia, what's going on?" Gray knew his voice sounded worried, but he couldn't help it.

"J-Juvia is fine," she finally answered weakly, but he could tell by her voice that she'd been crying.

"Can I come in?" He wasn't sure what Juvia would say but he couldn't just walk away when she needed help.

He waited impatiently for a very long time before he finally heard her muffled answer. "Yes…"

The Ice Devil Slayer was mildly surprised but relieved to find the door unlocked. He'd specifically put a lock on that door for her sake before she'd moved in, but she must be feeling more comfortable if she wasn't bothering to use it.

He saw Juvia as soon as he entered. She was lying on her side, curled up into a ball. Even in the dark, he could tell she was in pain and, with the door open, he could now hear her crying clearly. Gray crossed the large room in a flash and sat down beside her on the edge of the bed, making her groan. That made the Ice Devil Slayer panic.

"What's wrong?! What can I do for you? Should I go get Wendy!?" His mind was going a million different directions and he was about to go and find help when Juvia reached out and grabbed his shirt.

"Wait!" She rolled over and met his eyes. He could see how red her eyes were and he could see the pain etched into her features, but she'd asked him to wait so he did. "Juvia is so sorry. She's okay. It's just... her back hurts and she's exhausted. Juvia just wants to sleep but she can't because it hurts too much."

Gray hadn't felt this particular guilt in a while. Seeing how tired she was, seeing how much pain she was in, seeing how large Juvia's body had become, he felt absolutely terrible for getting her pregnant. He didn't regret the son they had coming but he would have done anything to help take away her pain.

"What can I do to help you?" he asked, brushing some hair away from her tear-stained face. He could see there was something she wanted to ask for, but she was wavering. "I'll do anything, Juvia. Just tell me."

He watched the bluenette sigh deeply and close her eyes, embarrassed, before she finally asked. "Will Gray-sama rub Juvia's lower back? Levy used to do it and it helps a lot."

"Absolutely. Just tell me where."

Gray spent the next 45 minutes in Juvia's dark room, rubbing her lower back until her tears subsided and the worst of the tension in her body melted away. He heard her breathing slowly transition into a rhythmic pattern until the Ice Devil Slayer assumed she'd finally fallen asleep.

Gray knew he should leave and let her sleep, but he hadn't seen her like this in so long, he couldn't look away. He'd definitely taken for granted the number of times they'd slept side by side on missions and while traveling. He'd forgotten how her long hair tended to fall in her face and how she usually smiled as she slept. He'd taken for granted how lucky he was to have Juvia right there by his side the whole time, thinking they had all the time in the world to figure things out.

Now here they were, so different, but maybe everything had to happen for a reason. After all of this, Gray had a much better appreciation for what he wanted and needed out of life. He also knew he'd never just assume things would work out the way he planned. Getting the result you wanted required action and once he'd finally fixed all of this, he'd never take that for granted again.

He allowed himself to brush her hair back from her face one more time and then started to get up when he heard her voice.

"Please don't go." Juvia hadn't moved, but she spoke clearly.

Gray froze. "Are you awake?"

"Yes." Finally, she looked over her shoulder at him and met his eyes.

"You really want me to stay?"

"Juvia doesn't want to be alone."

He searched her eyes and now it was his turn to feel insecure. He knew she wasn't asking for anything more than his presence and he was fine with that. What Gray feared was that when Juvia woke up, she would shut down all over again. However, right now she was looking to him for support and he'd promised himself months ago that he'd be there no matter what she asked for. Sleeping beside the woman he was in love with? That was easy.

"Okay."

He laid down beside her and was surprised when she moved close enough that they were touching. He was happy, but the position was awkward, and he had nowhere to put his arm. Taking a large chance, Gray draped his arm over her hip and let his hand rest on her bump. To his relief, in response, the Water Wizard melted into him and quickly they both fell into the best sleep they'd had in months.

* * *

The next morning, Juvia woke up still wrapped in Gray's arm and she felt the blush creep across her cheeks, but she didn't move. Juvia felt comfortable and loved and wanted... all feelings she'd been denying herself for so long. It was what she wanted.

If Juvia was being honest with herself, the Water Wizard knew she'd end up telling Gray how she really felt, just not yet. After their son was born and things settled down, when emotions and hormones weren't running so high, then they could talk. Until then, she would make due with little moments like this that meant the world to her.


	15. Chapter 15

Consequences

By: juvia0613 (FayeValentine00)

Chapter 15

* * *

It was a week before Juvia's due day when she went into the nursery to make sure everything was ready for their son when he arrived. Juvia was refolding the clothes in the drawers when she heard the front door open and Gray's voice called out.

"I'm home."

"Welcome home!" she called back. "Juvia is in the nursery."

A minute later, Gray came in and sat on the glider chair Elfman, Mirajane and Lisanna had given them at the baby shower a few weeks ago. He never would have believed it but it really was the most comfortable chair in the whole house. "What are you doing?"

This was their usual routine now. Gray would take small jobs during the day and when he came home, they'd talk about how things were going or discuss whatever the most recent guild gossip was. Since moving in together again, Gray and Juvia had found a way to enjoy each other's company without it getting weird.

The one secret they had that no one knew about was that most days Gray had taken to sleeping in her bed. They only slept and officially it was so Gray would be there in case anything happened in the middle of the night but in reality, it was all those things and the fact that it just made them happy.

"Juvia is refolding the clothes," she answered, folding a shirt so tiny it was hard to believe their son would even fit into it.

Gray chuckled with made Juvia curious so she turned to him with a smirk. "What's so funny?"

"Didn't you already do that a few days ago?" His eyes were dancing with amusement, causing Juvia to pause and think about it. This pregnancy brain was really getting out of hand.

Upon reflection, it only took Juvia a few moments to realize that he was right. She _had _just done it, but she didn't stop. Juvia had to be doing _something, or_ she was going to go stir crazy.

"Gray-sama, what do you want to name our son?" She asked suddenly but didn't look up from her folding.

Juvia had been meaning to ask Gray that same question for months but she'd always chickened out at the last minute. Now their son was almost here, and they'd never even discussed it. Juvia decided that now was the right time. The Water Wizard wasn't going to let their son be called "the baby" for the rest of his life so they needed to figure it out.

When he didn't answer, Juvia managed to peak over at the Ice Devil Slayer only to find him deep in though. The bluenette couldn't tell if he had a suggestion and wasn't sure if he should announce it or if he was really only now thinking about it for the first time.

"I guess… I'm not really sure," he finally answered carefully, and she noticed his expression was purposefully neutral. "What do you have in mind?"

Dammit! Juvia felt her face turn red instantly. She'd been trying not to talk about her suggestion. She really wanted to know what Gray thought and if he didn't like her name, she knew it would hurt her feelings.

"Don't worry about Juvia. What does Gray-sama think?" But even as she said the words, she couldn't look the Devil Slayer in the eye and she knew that was akin to a shark with blood in the water.

"I refuse," he announced stubbornly, and she could feel his eyes boring into her. He didn't stop staring at her until Juvia finally turned to face him.

"Gray-sama…" she began with a frown, but he held up his hand to cut her off.

"Don't Gray-sama me. … Just tell me what name you like."

Stalemate. They were still good at those, but ultimately Juvia sighed deeply in resignation. "If Juvia tells Gray-sama, promise me you won't laugh, okay?"

"I promise," he declared in all seriousness and then waited for her to continue.

Juvia's heart was racing. It was only a name suggestion, but it was a name suggestion for their son which made it a big deal. She was just really hoping he didn't hate it.

"Well... Juvia was just thinking that we are having a boy. Your name is Gray and Gray-sama's father's name is Silver." She watched as he nodded his understanding before she continued, her nerves making her voice shaky. "So, Juvia thought… keeping with tradition... She thought Slate might be a good name."

She knew her face was red, but she watched Gray closely as he considered her suggestion. His face didn't give away any clues as to what he was thinking. After what felt like an eternity, but was probably only a few seconds, Gray smiled at Juvia.

"Slate Fullbuster, huh?" He said the words out loud and let them hang in the air for a moment before her nodded. "I like it."

"Seriously?!" Juvia's heart skipped a beat. "Gray-sama really likes it?!"

"Yes, seriously," he promised with a smile. "I think that's a good name for our son. Let's call him Slate."

Excitement got the better of Juvia and she rushed across the room to give him a hug. "Thank you so much, Gray-sama. Juvia thinking Silver-san would like it too."

"Yeah, me too," he agreed returning her hug.

* * *

Four days later, Gray was at the guildhall with the rest of Team Natsu discussing the future of the 100 Years Quest when Gajeel busted through the door with a purpose, walked straight to their table and pulled Gray to his feet.

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Gray demanded, but he was already being dragged towards the door while his friends watched in shock.

"Juvia's water broke," Gajeel announced, looking down at him with a big smile and making Gray's entire body freeze.

The Ice Devil Slayer's mind went completely blank. He knew exactly what Gajeel meant, but he was trying to remember how to form a rational thought.

He heard the news spread around the hall like wildfire and before long people were shouting their good lucks, congratulations and well wishes from every direction but he barely noticed. As soon as he pulled himself back together, Gray shook off Gajeel and took off toward their friends' home at a run.

He ran straight into Gajeel and Levy's house without knocking and bolted straight for the living room where Levy and Juvia sat with the twins. The Water Wizard looked so calm that he felt silly for running through town like a maniac until Juvia made a face. "Here comes another one."

Gray watched Juvia's whole body clench and her face pinched up with pain. She was doing her best to breathe through it but he saw her muscles tense and even when he went to her side and took her hand, she couldn't relax. She squeezed his hand tightly and the whole contraction lasted about a minute.

When it passed and Juvia was finally able to sit back up, there was sweat on the Water Wizard's brow. Levy looked up at him with a serious expression. "You guys should probably get going. Those contractions are getting stronger and a lot closer together."

Gray thanked Levy and Gajeel, who'd come into the room a few steps behind him. Then he grabbed the overnight bag Juvia had been carrying everywhere for the last week and they were headed to the hospital. When they got there, her contractions were only a few minutes apart, so they were taken back for an examination right away.

Juvia was a champ. Despite the pain she went through every contraction, the Water Wizard didn't complain. She just put her head down and powered through. Gray tried to do the same but every time a wave of pain hit her, he found himself wishing he could take it away. He rubbed her back, smoothed her hair and told her she was doing great so often he must have sounded like a broken record but every time she would just smile.

They were in the hospital for about 2 hours before the doctors told them it was finally time to push. Gray did his best to support Juvia all her could. The blue-haired woman had decided against using painkillers which Gray didn't understand but respected. The problem was that every single contraction hit her like a ton of bricks and Gray was empathic enough to feel like he was going through it with her. It was exhausting and he wasn't even sure how she was staying so positive.

Juvia pushed for 45 minutes before they heard their son cry for the first time. Just that simple sound had them both in tears. It took a while to get everyone cleaned up and settled but Gray watched carefully from the side of the room, trying to stay out of the way. Once they were done and everyone else had left, The Ice Devil Slayer watched the new mother hold their newborn son looking like she'd just won the lottery.

He was sitting on a chair across the room when Juvia turned to him with a smile. "Gray-sama, come over here and meet your son."

When he crossed the room to her side, he moved slowly, heart pounding. Although it probably sounded silly, he was nervous. Watching this living, breathing human and knowing that he and Juvia were now responsible for ensuring he had the best possible life was terrifying.

Once he was in reach, Juvia reached out and pulled him down onto the bed beside her. Before he could refuse, she carefully placed their son in his arms and then beamed at them both. "Slate, this is your daddy. He's going to take very good care of you." She made her promise to the tiny boy, bringing tears to Gray's eyes.

"Hi, Slate," he said softly. "Welcome to the family. Your mom and I will take very good care of you." Making his own promise, the new father looked down at his son's precious face with tears streaming down his face. His tiny features were a wonderful mix of Juvia and himself. He had all his fingers, there was black hair on his little head and the cutest face he'd ever seen. Slate was perfect.

Juvia watched Gray and Slate with pride, reaching over to touch Slate while Gray held him. It was a beautiful moment but before long; he saw Juvia yawn and he knew the exertion was taking its toll.

"Why don't you rest a bit? Me and Slate will just hang out until you're ready."

"Is Gray-sama sure?"

"Absolutely." He smiled, pulling her head onto his shoulder. "I promise. Get some rest. You deserve it."

And for the next hour, the new little non-traditional family bonded in that hospital room wondering where their lives could possibly go from there.


	16. Chapter 16

Consequences

By: juvia0613 (FayeValentine00)

Chapter 16

* * *

Juvia opened her eyes slowly. She knew she'd only been asleep a few hours and it felt good. Ever since they'd brought Slate home two days ago, they'd been napping in shifts, trying to adjust to a baby who ate every couple of hours and woke up at completely random times.

Although she was breastfeeding, Gray had convinced Juvia that it was okay to pump so he could feed Slate, allowing her to sleep for more than an hour at a time. As a brand-new father, Gray was even more amazing than she'd dreamed. He didn't shy away from anything. Not spit up, dirty diapers, crying... He was right there every time.

The Water Wizard rolled out of bed to relieve Gray and feed Slate. Quickly, she pulled on a tank top and a pair of maternity pants because, unfortunately her stomach hadn't gone back to being completely flat right away and hurried out.

When she rounded the corner to the living room, her heart melted. Gray and Slate were asleep on a blanket laid out on the floor. Their son was sprawled out on his back while Gray was curled up protectively beside him. Even in sleep, Gray looked happy. It was a picture-perfect moment that Juvia knew she'd never forget.

The Water Wizard didn't dare wake them. She just sat on the couch and watched for a long time. Juvia couldn't keep her eyes off them. Somehow, many Earthland years ago, she'd managed to find this man from another place, another guild, another life. She'd fought him, fallen in love with him and they'd ended up with a child together. If there really was a god out there, he'd definitely delivered Gray to her, yet somehow, she'd nearly managed to ruin it all.

It couldn't stay like this forever. Juvia could accept that she wanted more. She'd always _wanted_ more but now she felt like, maybe, she actually deserved it. After everything she'd put Gray through, it was a miracle that he was still around. Any other man would've walked away a long time ago.

When Juvia realized she was pregnant, something in her had simply broken and she'd panicked. Before Gray got home, she'd had 5 months to convince herself that he didn't love her like that. She'd convinced herself that she would be saddling him with something he didn't want. Yet, now she could see things differently. How could she still feel that way when she saw the way he was with Slate? ... And, how could Juvia continue to feel that way when she saw how Gray looked at her when he thought she wasn't looking?

* * *

When Slate was three-months old, Gray took a job with Team Natsu that was easily the hardest job of his career and it had absolutely nothing to do with the job itself. This time he was gone from home for a week and literally had trouble keeping his head in the game. Anytime there was downtime, he was thinking of Slate and Juvia. Where were they? Were they okay? What were they doing?

It got bad enough that Erza pulled him aside and told him that it was okay to go home if he needed to. The only thing that kept him on the job was the knowledge that they had to get used to it. Gray and Juvia combined had a good deal of money but with a house and a child, it wouldn't last forever.

At home, things had been really comfortable lately. Long after Slate was in his crib, they'd stay up talking about anything and everything on their minds. They now hugged on a regular basis and most nights still slept in the same bed even though they no longer had an excuse. They just did it and never spoke about it.

He loved falling asleep with her in his arms, even those times when she was using his arm as a pillow and his hand fell dead asleep. He found himself staying awake to cherish those moments. Sometimes he thought she was awake doing the same thing, but again, they didn't talk about it. Talking meant dealing with things. Dealing with things meant potential change and that was scary.

When Team Natsu got home, Gray didn't even bother going back to the guild to get his payment. He knew Erza would collect it for him. All he wanted to do was go home and see his family and, regardless of his official relationship with Juvia, she was his family just as much as Slate.

It was early in the evening when he got to the house and Gray was surprised that none of the lights were on yet. Disappointed, he wondered if they'd gone out somewhere so Gray went inside, expecting to find a note. Instead, he walked into a sight that took his breath away.

Juvia was asleep on the couch in nothing but a towel and Slate was asleep on her chest, also wrapped in a towel. He could only assume they'd taken a bath and hadn't quite gotten to the getting dressed part before they'd both fallen asleep. Judging by all the things around Juvia, he assumed Slate was fussy and hadn't given her the chance to put him down long enough to change. He knew all too well that the Water Wizard was physically incapable of letting Slate cry it out.

Her legs looked so long with her towel barely covering the important places and he was reminded how great she looked top to bottom but that also made Gray feel like a creep. He knew Juvia would be embarrassed if she woke up to find him staring at her, so he grabbed a blanket from the floor and covered them both.

After that Gray picked up the living room and set to making dinner. He knew if he waited, Juvia would cook. In fact, she'd probably planned to have something ready by the time he arrived, but she'd just spent a week on her own with Slate and Juvia deserved a little time off.

He was almost done cooking when he heard movement in the living room. A few minutes later, Juvia came in with the blanket still wrapped around her, looking half-asleep. She must have put Slate in his crib before coming to find him.

"Welcome home, Gray-sama," she greeted with a groggy voice, but her sweet smile was genuine.

"I'm home," he replied, smiling in return and handing her the cup of coffee he'd anticipated her needing.

"Thank you." He watched her take a careful sip and then she added, "We really missed you."

The way Juvia said those words wasn't casual, and Gray knew it immediately. Without thinking, he met her eyes with obvious surprise. He couldn't tell what she was thinking but the expression on her face made his heart race and he wasn't sure how to respond. After what felt like an eternity, he finally managed, "I really missed you too."

Their eyes lingered on each other for a long time, neither knowing exactly what to say until Juvia realized that she was still in nothing but a blanket. Gray watched her blush and excuse herself before hurrying from the room. He wasn't ashamed to admit he wished that he could follow her. Gray also wished that he could tell her how absolutely beautiful she was.

* * *

While she was getting dressed, Juvia did a lot of soul-searching. She was sick of pretending. She was sick of denying her feelings. She was sick of not telling Gray the truth and she was sick of not being a proper family. She had to put an end to it. She needed to come clean with everything.

As she was headed back to the kitchen, the Water Wizard heard Slate wake up, ready to eat so Juvia put her feelings on the back burning for the evening and did her best to act normal. They had dinner, played with their son and chatted about the same nothing that they always talked about. However, that night, after Slate was asleep in his crib and they returned to the couch, it was time.

Juvia took a very slow, deep breath. Her hands were shaking, and her heart was pounding so loudly that she was sure Gray could hear but she had to do this. There was no way she could hold back any longer. The Water Wizard needed to tell Gray the truth. It wasn't fair to either of them to be stuck in this relationship of constant insecurity and, when Juvia was finished, she'd have to accept whatever the Devil Slayer had to say in return. She owed him that much.

"Gray-sama... Juvia needs to tell you something."


	17. Chapter 17

Consequences

By: juvia0613 (FayeValentine00)

Chapter 17

* * *

"Gray-sama… Juvia needs to tell you something."

As soon as the words came out of her mouth, Gray froze in place. With his heart in his throat, he noticed her hands were shaking and when he looked into her face, he saw a mixture of determination and fear.

In an instant, the Ice Devil Slayer knew what was happening. It was the moment he'd both been anticipating and dreading for months. As much as he needed this conversation to happen, he was afraid. The only way to move forward was to talk about the past but what if things didn't work out. Gray couldn't imagine his life without Slate and Juvia by his side, but even though he knew she loved him, Gray didn't have a clue what the Water Wizard was actually going to say.

"Please... just hear Juvia out," she pleaded.

Gray did his best to paste a neutral expression on his face, not wanting to make this any harder on Juvia than he knew it was. When he finally answered, his voice was tense as he nodded. "Okay."

"Alright…" Juvia took a deep breath and ran a hand through her long blue hair while she tried to figure out where to start. Every second Juvia hesitated felt like a lifetime as the tension between them grew and when she finally spoke, it all came spilling over like a wave.

"Gray-sama, Juvia is so sorry!" Her eyes met his with an intensity he hadn't expected. "Juvia didn't mean for any of this to happen. Juvia was... so afraid. She didn't want Gray-sama to feel trapped and hate her. She was afraid that Gray-sama would think she did this on purpose."

Tears were pouring from her eyes and she was speaking so quickly he had trouble keeping up but the words just kept coming. "Juvia just wanted Gray-sama to be happy and she was afraid that having a baby would be a burden. She didn't want to ruin his life. Juvia knows she did everything wrong... and she knows she hurt him but she truly didn't mean to!"

He was still trying to collect his thoughts when she took a deep breath, letting her tears flow freely, and practically shouted her next words. "Juvia always… always loved Gray-sama and all she wanted was for Gray-sama to love her back. But Juvia wanted to be loved for Juvia, not because of the baby! But... But... Juvia doesn't care anymore! Juvia still loves Gray-sama! She loves Gray-sama and Slate more than anything else in the world. She doesn't care why Gray-sama loves her anymore! Juvia just wants to be loved and—"

He couldn't take it anymore. Gray's careful restraint collapsed the moment Juvia admitted that she still loved him and still wanted him. There were so many things to say and talk about and deal with but not yet. That could wait.

Knowing Juvia wouldn't stop on her own, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her firmly on the lips, cutting off her words and showing her rather than telling her how he felt. He could taste the salty tears on her lips and feel the shaky breath from her sobs still assaulting her body but he didn't care. He just wanted to feel her and taste her and get as close to Juvia as humanly possible.

His fingers ran through her hair, pulling her to him and crushing her into his body until he felt her arms wrap around his middle and pull him towards her just as tightly. He felt her return the kiss and lean her body into his, needing the connection as much as he did.

His hands roamed and his lips abandoned her to leave a trail of hungry kisses along her neck, across her collarbone and over her shoulder. He was so thankful she was wearing a tank top so he could feel her skin against his.

Juvia's tears had stopped but her breathing still came in gasps as she did her best to keep up with him. She pulled Grays shirt over his head and tossed it across the room so she could get even closer and so she could leave her own kisses on him. Her lips were so soft, her breath so warm. Gray wanted to make love to her right then and there but he knew they had to stop.

Following their instincts and not their brains was what had gotten them to this point. It would be so, so easy to give in right now but they couldn't, not like this. They would just be repeating the same mistakes all over again, but God, it was hard to stop when Juvia's breasts were pressed against his chest while her fingers ran through his hair, pulling him close and begging for more.

It was physically painful for Gray to pull away from Juvia and the hungry, disappointed look in her eyes did nothing to help the situation. However, the Ice Devil Slayer was determined to do things right this time, despite the fact that his pulse was still racing and his pants suddenly felt way too tight.

"We can't do this until we talk," he managed to say, surprised at how disappointed his own words sounded.

Juvia's wide eyes that had been so full of lust, slowly faded back into the familiar fear he'd seen so often in recent months. He wanted to kiss it all away, but he needed to say his piece. Juvia deserved to hear the words he should have said to her years ago.

"Okay," she whispered.

Gray took a deep breath and started to bare his soul to the one and only women he would ever love.

"Juvia... this is all _my _fault."

* * *

It was hard for Juvia to focus when Gray pulled away. It wasn't until he said they needed to talk that Juvia realized she'd nearly made the same mistake all over again. She really was a fool. However, when Gray began to speak, she found herself hanging on his every word.

The Ice Devil Slayer took her hands in his and there was an urgency in his voice like he was trying to will her to believe him. Just his pleading expression would have been enough to take her breath away but Juvia managed to stay focused.

"Me loving you has nothing to do with Slate. I love him and I am so thankful to you for bringing him into our lives but they are two completely separate things."

Juvia's heart literally ached. She wanted to believe those words. More than anything, she needed that to be true. She wanted to ask so many questions but, when he continued, she held back.

"I should have told you the truth so many times. I think I really started to figure it out when Meredy's Sensory Link worked on us."

"At Tenrou Island?!" Juvia hadn't meant to interrupt, but it was a major shock.

Gray just smirked and squeezed her hands then continued. "Then there was the time I almost had to kill Lyon during the Grand Magic Games. I'm not sure how serious he was about stealing you away but there was no way I was going to let that happen. And I'm sure our unison raid wouldn't be nearly as effective if I didn't care about you. Way back then, Erza told me to make things clear, but I was too embarrassed or insecure or whatever to say anything."

"Then there was Tartaros... and a lot happened. But... that day when you came to tell me that you killed the necromancer controlling my father…" She watched Gray let out a slow, shaky breath before continuing, the memory bringing fresh tears to her own eyes. "If I hadn't wanted you in my life, I could have let you walk away right then. I could've said nothing, but I didn't. When you said you didn't deserve to love me anymore, it scared me to death. ... I couldn't let you go."

They fell silent for a minute, both considering. Juvia's memory of that day was still so fresh. She remembered Gray hugging her and crying into her chest, apologizing over and over for something that neither of them could've controlled. Even now she would do anything to take that pain away but instead she just leaned over and put her forehead to his chest, trying to keep her emotions in check when he continued speaking but this time she could hear amusement in his voice.

"Juvia, I never would have lived with you in that house for six months if I didn't love you. You're the only person I've ever cohabitated with and we were happy. That should've told you something!"

The Water Wizard chuckled despite herself. Gray's confession was working. He was saying everything she'd ever hoped to hear and when she sat back up, he was gazing at her with the most loving look in his eyes, but he still wasn't done.

Juvia watched as a flash of pain crossed his face and when he spoke again, she heard his voice falter.

"But my biggest regret of all was not telling you everything that night on the bridge before the war with Alvarez. I was such an idiot. I knew exactly how I felt about you back then but I didn't want to have any extra distractions. Despite the dire situation, I was so sure things would work out okay so all I managed to promise was that I'd give you an answer when it was all over. I'll never forgive myself for that!"

His voice cracked and it broke her heart but she still didn't interrupt. "Then I came so, so close to losing you." A shiver shot through his body as his hand moved to the place on her stomach that still held the evidence of her sacrifice. Her own fingers trailed across his scar, causing goosebumps to rise on his flesh but he managed to continue.

"I don't think I would have survived that war if I'd lost you. Even back then I couldn't picture my life without you. … But after that, time just flew by and I don't know exactly what happened but I never made anything clear. And then it was the party and things got out of hand without ever discussing it and here we are." He finished gesturing to their house and Slate's bedroom door.

That was when Gray smiled at her, really smiled and Juvia's pulse began to race all over again. "What I'm trying to say... what I need you to understand is... I was in love with you long before we ever slept together. ... Juvia, you're my first everything!" A deep blush crossed his cheeks, making her blush too as he continued. "Absolutely none of that has anything to do with Slate. I love you both and I will continue to love you until the day I die."

His words were the last piece to the puzzle Juvia needed. She believed him wholeheartedly, she could see it in his eyes and she could feel it in the depths of her soul. That knowledge somehow made the worst of her pain wash away. It didn't make that pain disappear completely, but it was replaced by far happier, far more productive emotions.

After that, Juvia didn't want to hold back anymore. "I love you too."

Juvia stood up and took Gray by the hand. "It's getting late. We should go to bed."

Gray was watching her carefully as he stood up and followed her towards the room they'd been sharing for months but before they got to the door, Gray stopped dead in his tracks.

When Juvia turned around to look at him, confused, she found him looking at her with those eyes she'd remembered so often in her dreams.

"Juvia," he breathed, his voice thick with desire. "I can't go in there tonight and not touch you."

"But Juvia wants you to touch her."

That was all the motivation he needed.


	18. Chapter 18

Consequences

By: juvia0613 (FayeValentine00)

Chapter 18

* * *

"But Juvia wants you to touch her."

That was all the motivation he needed.

Gray closed the distance between them in one step, swept Juvia off her feet, earning him a shriek of delight and carried her into the room, kicking the door closed behind them. As he approached the bed, Juvia gazed up at him. Finally, all those months when she looked at him with fear and apprehension was gone. Instead, her eyes were bright and full of love like he was used to; like he loved to see. He was finally looking at _his_ Juvia and they'd finally, _finally _admitted their feelings out loud.

Now they could be together both physically and mentally. No more uncertainties. No more unknowns. They were in love and now they could finally act on it.

Gray put Juvia down on the bed and she quickly crawled to her knees, pulling him up on the bed with her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pecked his lips once, twice, a third time. She was teasing him until he wrapped his fingers into her hair and kissed her roughly. The moan that escaped the Water Wizard's throat giving him motivation.

Her fingers were digging into his back, crushing herself against him, trying to feel as much of Gray as possible. Meanwhile, he moved from her lips to the hollow of her neck, nipping at her skin, kissing every inch of Juvia that he could. His hands ran across her body, over her breasts, cupping them, kneading them and enjoying the way her body melted under his touch.

Gray reached for the hem of her tank top, pulling it over her head and tossing it aside, leaving them both naked from the waist up. He wasted no time before kissing the valley between her breasts before teasing her nipple with his teeth. The simple act making a delicious shiver race through Juvia's body. She was literally putty in his hands.

Gray moved from her breast, back up to her lips, deepening the kiss, tasting her, inhaling her scent and listening to all the little moans and gasps the blue-haired woman made as he touched her body.

Her fingers found the front of his pants and after a few seconds of struggle, she managed to get them undone enough to achieve her goal. When Juvia stuck her hand down the front of his pants, Gray's loud moan made her grin. The Ice Devil Slayer had to use all of his concentration not to lost control as she used her dexterous fingers to wrap around his length. Juvia's grip on him, stroking gently as she kissed his neck and the soft spot behind his ear, driving him to the edge of sanity.

Before long, he had to pull back and remove her hand, but he didn't miss the adorably triumphant look on her face when she saw how affected he was from just her touch. It was as good as a challenge.

Gray playfully pushed Juvia on to her back and looked down on her with a devious gleam in his eyes. "Two can play at that game."

Being much better at stripping, Gray had them both nude in a matter of seconds. Never looking away from her eyes, he leaned down and kissed her again but slower. He let his hand trail over her skin from shoulder to breast to stomach to hip, down her leg until he caught Juvia's ankle.

Gray pulled her leg on to his shoulder and began a new trail of kisses. He kissed the Water Wizard's ankle and moved up her leg. The inside of her knee, inching up her thigh slowly. He could feel her excitement growing with each new inch of skin he conquered, until he found her hot core.

Gray nuzzled her folds, using his fingers to create a path, teasing her clit before he tasted her for the first time, causing Juvia to nearly come off the bed. His tongue worked magic, running her length, up and down and back again while his hands groped at her ass and breasts, driving her insane.

The Ice Devil Slayer could feel her legs trembling, tightening around him. Her hands were buried into his hair, holding on as sensations of pleasure coursed through her body. But all too soon, like he had before her, Juvia pulled him back up to her and gave him a lingering kiss.

Her body squirmed under Gray's, pulling his body to hers but she moved her head back enough to meet his eyes. "Juvia loves you, Gray-sama... so much."

"I love you too... more than anything."

When they kissed again, their bodies found each other and Gray slid into her slowly, mutual moans filling the room.

Their lips held each other as they moved. Juvia's legs wrapped around him, drawing him deeper. Both were ready, so desperate for release. They moved quickly, crashing into each other until their gasps made their kisses impossible.

With every thrust, Juvia's voice got louder giving Gray motivation to hold on and bring the Water Wizard to her peak. His own body was throbbing as she squeezed him tightly. His moans mingled with her voice but neither gave it a second thought. It was rough and urgent and frenzied as they moved and when they finished; it was together.

As they lay there, still connected, their breathing was heavy and ragged. When their eyes met, Gray finally felt at home, exactly where he should be. When Juvia kissed him one last time, he knew she felt the same way.

* * *

The next day, Gray and Juvia, with Slate in a carrier attached to Juvia's chest, walked into Fairy Tail hand-in-hand.

"Oh, Thank God! _Finally!" _Cana shouted from the bar across the room with a big smile on her face, causing the couple to blush deeply but they still managed to laugh along with everyone else.

When the initial uproar was over, Gray, Juvia, Gajeel, Levy, their children and the rest of Team Natsu all sat together talking. Lucy had Slate on her lap, bouncing him gently in her arms while Natsu made random faces to make the baby laugh out loud. It was a skill their son had only learned a few days earlier but amused them all greatly.

Everyone was curious about how Gray and Juvia finally managed to work things out. It amused Juvia that some of their friends seemed disappointed to hear that they'd simply talked it out. But, in truth, not talking candidly had always been their problem. So, what might seem dull or anti-climactic to some was actually a major breakthrough for the couple.

"Hey Luce!" Natsu began loudly, drawing everyone's attention. "Since Gray and Juvia finally worked things out, is this a good time to finally tell everyone?"

All the blood drained from the Celestial Spirit Wizard's face. Quickly, Gray took Slate from Lucy's hands, just in case she needed to kill the Dragon Slayer. The blonde woman's jaw dropped as she and the rest of the guild stared at Natsu with wide eyes. When the blood returned to her face, she went red. "Well... I guess now we have to, don't we?" She said gesturing to everyone around them staring expectantly.

"Awesome!" Natsu threw an arm over Lucy's shoulder and pulled her to him, turning to their friends with a huge smile on his face. "Lucy and I have been together for months!"

"M-months?!" Erza choked on her drink and turned to the couple in shock. "How many months are we talking about?!"

"Almost eight months," Lucy admitted and the guild erupted all over again.

That was the first day Natsu and Lucy, and Gray and Juvia began their lives together as official couples in the guild.

* * *

Later that evening, when Juvia was returning from changing Slate's diaper, Gildarts stopped her in the hall.

"Do you have a minute?" he asked, while smiling down into the baby's happy face.

"S-Sure," she responded automatically, but the Water Wizard's heart began to race. She hadn't spoken to Gildarts much since he'd brought Gray home and she knew that he'd been frustrated with her for a long time so she wasn't sure what he would say. "What can Juvia do for Gildarts?"

"I just wanted to tell you something important."

Now he had her attention. His smile was kind without a hint of censure, so she lowered her guard. "What's that?"

"Well... I think you should know... When I went to get Gray to bring him back home, I asked him what he planned to do after the 100 Years Quest, and do you know what he told me?"

Juvia shook her head slowly, having no idea where this was headed. "No. ... What?"

"Gray told me that his plan was to tell you how he really felt."

The news hit Juvia like a punch to the gut, but her smile was instantaneous. "Gray-sama really said that?!"

"I promise. ... But I didn't want to tell you until you and Gray got things figured out on your own."

That knowledge made Juvia's heart soar and she bounced up, kissing the older man on the cheek. "Thank you, Gildarts!" After that she rushed out the door and back to Gray's side with a million-dollar smile on her face.

When she sat down beside him, she cuddled Slate on her shoulder and hugged Gray's arm tightly with her other hand, looking up at him adoringly.

"Why are you so happy all of a sudden?" The Ice Devil Slayer asked, amused.

"Juvia just really loves you, Gray-sama!"

She beamed at him so adorably, he gave her a hug to hide that expression from the others and then whispered into her ear. "I really love you too."


	19. Chapter 19

Consequences

By: juvia0613 (FayeValentine00)

Chapter 19

* * *

When Slate was nearly 6 months old, Gray and Juvia pushed their son's stroller through Magnolia, enjoying the warm, clear afternoon. Originally Gray was scheduled to leave on a job with Team Natsu that morning but when Juvia tried to wake him up, he wouldn't budge. Instead, the man had pulled her into a bear hug, kissed her thoroughly and announced that he wasn't leaving.

Much to the Water Wizards surprise, it was Gray's suggestion that they take a day out as a family. Such a normal, domestic family thing that was a rare treat, especially for people in their line of work but it was even more special because the Ice Devil Slayer had been the one to suggest it. Gray's made a point of letting Juvia sleep in while he packed Slate's diaper bag and got the baby fed and dressed.

Normally Juvia wouldn't have read into things but he was acting strange. Yes, Gray was a wonderful father and lover and he was always attentive and loving but that day he seemed to go out of his way to be _extra_ nice. It left the bluenette curious.

They spent the whole day as a family; shopping, eating and talking. They'd let their feet dangle in the river which made Slate laugh hysterically. They'd held hands and generally just enjoyed each other's company. It felt amazing and was a scene that would have seemed impossible to Juvia's 19-year-old self just a couple of years earlier.

When it was getting close to dusk, Juvia realized that Gray seemed to be heading in a specific direction but it didn't make any sense. Street by street, they got closer and closer to their destination and before long; the trio stopped in front of Lucy's apartment.

"But Juvia thought everyone left on a job."

"They did," Gray answered casually, picking up their sleeping son and handing him to Juvia so he could fold up the stroller and carry it with him.

His expression gave away nothing yet the good memories of the first time they'd gone to Lucy's empty alone brought a blush to her cheeks. "Then why are we here?"

"You'll see. Let's go inside first."

"... Okay."

The Water Wizard followed Gray up the stairs but the whole time her mind was racing. She was completely confused. It only got worse when they got to the top of the stairs and he pulled an actual key from his pocket.

"How did Gray-sama—?"

Her words cut off when he opened the door and her jaw dropped. Looking into Lucy's apartment, there were flowers and candles everywhere. The whole room was warm and beautiful and romantic looking. Juvia's eyes flitted between the scene before her and Gray several times before he chuckled and put a hand to the small of her back, guiding her inside.

"Who did all of this?" she whispered, still looking around at the flowers that must have numbered in the hundreds.

"I asked Lucy and Erza to help."

Juvia truly didn't understand what was going on. Cradling Slate in her arms, she walked around, looking at everything. The room smelled like roses and there was a bottle of wine on the table with two glasses as well as a new toy for Slate which was an adorable touch. It looked like something from a fantasy.

"It's beautiful," she said when the initial shock wore off but she still didn't get it.

As she'd been looking around, Gray had set the stroller back up. He took Slate from her arms, gave him a soft kiss and then laid him back down before turning to Juvia.

"Gray-sama, what's going on?" her voice was trembling. The blue-haired woman was nervous and she didn't even know why. "What is all of this?"

He crossed the room with a bemused expression, pulled Juvia into his arms and kissed her once before smiling down at her. "You really have no idea?"

"No…" she whispered. It was one of those moments when Gray took her breath away. He was so handsome and was looking at her so lovingly that she could hardly think straight.

When Gray snickered with amusement, she pouted. "Will you tell Juvia?"

"Obviously!" he scoffed, good humoredly. "Okay... here it goes."

She watched him take a deep breath and for the first time that night; he looked nervous too. _Seriously, what was going on?! _

He took a step back and took her hands in his, meeting her eyes. "We've been through a lot," he murmured and she nodded in agreement, her eyes growing wide as an undefined seed of hope began to take root.

"I can't even begin to tell you how much you and Slate mean to me. I can't image what my life would have been like if I hadn't met you." As he spoke, Juvia's chest tightened and tears formed in her eyes. Gray was saying words that had once seemed impossible but now meant everything. "There has never been a day since I met you that I haven't thought about you and, when we're apart, I miss you. You and Slate are the family I never thought I deserved yet you've always treated me like I was the only man in the world." That made them both smile.

"But now I want to make it all official." Gray reached into his pocket and pulled out a box. When he got down on one knee, he held up the ring and her tears flowed freely. "Juvia Lockser, I love you from the bottom of my heart. Will you please marry me?"

She was crying so hard the Water Wizard had trouble speaking but she nodded and finally managed to choke out the syllable. "Yes!"

She fell to her knees in front of him and threw her arms around his neck. When he kissed her, the tears didn't matter. There was nothing but pure joy in that moment.

It took them both a few minutes to recover before Gray pulled back, took Juvia's left hand and put the ring on her fourth finger. It was a classic solitaire design and just looking at it made her heart flutter. "I love you, Gray-sama."

"I love you too."

Gray climbed to his feet, helped Juvia up and led her over to the table. He poured them both a drink and grinned as she took a sip.

"What's so funny?" Juvia's heart was still racing but his amusement was wearing off on her.

"Now do you want me to tell you how I got the key?" Gray literally had tears of mirth in his eyes and Juvia's curiosity was peaked all over again.

"Sure."

As her fiancé told the story, he was grinning the entire time. "When I was talking to Lucy last week about helping me with this, the whole team was there and everyone was more than happy to make it perfect. But towards the end of our planning, Lucy suddenly asked. 'I don't mind at all but why do you want to use _my_ apartment?'"

Gray laughed out loud before he continued. "Right at that minute, it was like a lightbulb went off in Natsu's head and I swear he guffawed. He'd noticed that we'd been in Lucy's apartment the night of the party and I bribed him with food to shut up about it." That made them both laugh. "Apparently he hadn't put 2 and 2 together until that moment. Immediately after that, Wendy and Erza turned bright red too and I realized the only person who didn't know was Lucy herself!"

"Ohhhhh!" Juvia felt her cheeks grow red at the memory and the knowledge that all of their friends knew exactly where and when Slate was conceived.

"So... I had to admit to breaking in and everything else. To say that Lucy was surprised was an understatement... but after the initial embarrassment wore off, she agreed as long as I promised we wouldn't have sex in her apartment this time."

They were both laughing when Gray reached out and pulled her into a hug. "But she didn't say I couldn't kiss you."

"Mmm... that sounds nice," she beamed up at him, tilting her head to accept his kisses.

That was when they heard Slate waking up and reality set back in but neither was complaining. Their son was the best piece of their puzzle. Juvia gave Gray one last kiss, set down her glass and when to retrieve their son while he grabbed a bottle. They sat together on Lucy's couch, watching their son and still riding high from their engagement.

Juvia looked around the room again and smiled. "They really did a beautiful job."

"That's because they all love you almost as much as I do. They just want us to be happy."

"Juvia is very happy."

"Me too."

* * *

Two months later, Juvia was walking down the aisle towards the love of her life. He looked incredibly handsome in his tux but she would have been just as happy if he'd stood there in his boxers. Just that thought made her giggle, earning her a raised eyebrow when she reached his side.

Gajeel was the one giving Juvia away and, when the Iron Dragon Slayer put her hand into Gray's, her best friend looked into her soon-to-be husbands' eyes and repeated the words he'd said a year ago. "If you do anything to hurt her, I'll kill you." But this time, both men were grinning.

Gray and Juvia said their vows and their "I do's" and when the priest told him to kiss the bride, there was no hesitation. They'd earned their chance to have that moment in front of their family and friends and when Mr. and Mrs. Fullbuster were officially present to the crowd, the cheers were deafening.

* * *

**Epilogue**

"Mom! What are you doing?" Five-year-old Slate was knocking on the bathroom door because she'd been in there longer than normal. That was a part of parenthood people didn't usually tell you about. No peace.

"J-Just a minute!" she called back, trying to stay calm but her heart was pounding as she looked at the positive pregnancy test.

A couple of months earlier, she and Gray had decided that maybe it was time to have another child. Natsu and Lucy just had their first daughter and Slate was beginning to ask for a brother or sister of his own. That was one of the reasons she and Slate hadn't joined Team Natsu on their current job... just in case.

Gray wasn't due home for at least a week and Juvia knew she'd never be able to keep the news a secret until he got home. However, his words from that terrible day still haunted her. "I should have been the first person you came to!" So, this time he would be.

Juvia put the test in her pocket, opened the bathroom door and threw her arms around her son.

"Ew! Mom, what are you doing?! You're being weird!" Slate made the same kind of tsundere expressions and comments that Gray used too and it always made Juvia laugh. Today was no exception.

"Mom needs to go talk to Dad. Should we go on a trip to find him?!"

Her enthusiasm wore off on her son who worshipped the ground his father walked on and beamed up at her. "Really?! Now!?"

"Yep! Let's go."

They had to go to the guild and talk to Mira to get exact directions to the job they'd accepted and within hours, she and Slate were on a train. The young boy had asked her several times why they were going but Juvia would only tell him that she needed to tell Gray something.

But Slate was a smart kid and he knew his parents dynamic well so he was wary. "Don't you think Dad will tell you to wait until he gets home?"

The Water Wizard only laughed and shook her head. "Normally, yes but, this time, Juvia thinks Dad will be very happy."

It took a day and a half to track them down and as soon as Slate caught sight of Gray's back, the little boy was off like a shot.

"Dad!"

The Ice Devil Slayer spun around just in time to catch his son in his arms. "Hey Buddy!" He smiled as he spoke to his son but when he looked up at Juvia, he was clearly confused. He picked Slate up, ignoring the stares of his teammates and turned to his wife. "What are you guys doing here?"

Juvia couldn't keep the huge smile off of her face. "Gray-sama told me that he should have been the first person Juvia came to so, this time she's doing it right."

She knew he understood immediately because it only took three steps before he could pull her and Slate into a huge hug, kissing Juvia firmly on the lips. "Are you serious?"

"Yes!"

Both Gray and Juvia were beaming with tears in their eyes while Slate and the rest of Team Natsu looked confused.

"Gray, what's going on?" Erza asked, smiling at their happy reunion but not sure what to make of it.

That's when the Ice Devil Slayer turned to his friends and was thrilled to announce the news to their friends with a smile. "Apparently, we're having another baby!"

This time everything was different. They were happy and the Fullbuster family was able to do things the right way. Life had truly never been happier and when their daughter was born early the next year, their family was complete.

**The End**


End file.
